Bulletin  No.  4.-  New  Series. 

U.S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

DIVISION  OF  ENTOMOLOGY. 


L 


THE   I'lilX 


EOITSEHO] 


UNITED    ST  A 


I,.    <>.    UOW  AIM)    AM)    O.     L.     MAKLATT. 


Willi    A    (   IIAi'TKK    o\ 


9 


INSECTS  AFFECTIW  DM  VEGETABLE  FOODS. 


P.    II.   ririTTKVDKX. 


DIVISION  OF  ENTOMOLOGY. 

Entomologist:  L.  O.  Howard. 

Assistant  Entomologists :  C.  L.  Marlatt,  Tli.  Pergande,  F.  II.  Chittenden. 

Investigators:  E.  A.  Schwarz,  H.  G.  Hubbard,  W.  II.  Ashmead,  I).  \V.  Coqnillett. 

Assistants:  Frank  Benton,  R.  S.  Clifton,  F.  G.  Pratt. 
Artist:  Miss  L.  Sullivan. 


Bulletin  No.  4.— New  Series. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

DIVISIOH  OF  ENTOMOLOGY. 


THE   PRINCIPAL 


* 


HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS 


UNITED   STATES. 


L.    O.    HOWARD    A:N\D    C.    L.    3IARLATT. 


WITH    A    CHAPTER   OX 


INSECTS  AFFECTING  DRY  VEGETABLE  FOODS. 


BY 


F.   II.   CIIITTEXDEX 


WASHINGTON":. 

OOVEENMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 
189G. 


r 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Division  of  Entomology, 

Washington,  D.  C,  July  7.  1896. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  for  publication  the  accompanying 

account  of  the  principal  household  insects  of  the  United  States. 

Respectfully, 

L.  O.  Howard, 

Entomologist. 

Hon.  J.  Sterling  Morton, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 

2 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Introduction 7 

Chapter  I. — Mosquitoes  and  fleas.     (By  L.  Q  Jloward) 9 

Mosquitoes  ( Culicidw  spp. ) 7w 9 

The  cat  and  dog  flea  (I'ulex  serraticeps  Gerv.) 24 

Chapter  II. — The  bedbug  and  cone-nose.     (By  C.  L.  Marlatt) 32 

The  bedbug  (Cimex  lectularius  Linn.) 32 

The  blood-sucking  cone-nose  (Conorhinus  sanguistiga  Lee.) 38 

Chapter  III. — House   flies,  centipedes,  and   other  insects   that  are 
ANNOYING  rather  than  directly  INJURIOUS.     (By  L.  O.  Howard  and 

C  L.  Marlatt) 43 

House  flies  (Musca  domestica,  et  al.).     (L.  O.  H.) 43 

The  house  centipede  (Scutigera  forceps  Raf.).     (C.  L.  M.) 47 

The  clover  mite  (Bryobia pratensis  Garm.).     (C.  L.  M.) 51 

The  house  cricket  (Gi-yllus  domesticus  Linn).     (C.  L.  M.) 52 

The  paper  wasp  (  Fespa  germanica  Fab.).     (C.L.  M.) 56 

Chapter  IV. — Species  injurious  to  woolen  goods,  clothing,  carpets, 

upholstery,  etc.     (By  L.  O.  Howard  and  C.  L.  Marlatt) 58 

The  carpet  beetle   or   "buffalo    moth"  (Anthrenus    scrophularice   Linn.). 

(L.O.II.) 58 

The  black  carpet  beetle  (A ttagenus  piceus  01.).     (L.  O.  H.) 61 

The  clothes  moths  (Tinea  pcllionella,  et  al.)     (C.  L.  M.) 63 

Chapter  V. — Species  injurious  to  wall  paper,  books,  timber,  etc.    (By 

C.L.  Marlatt) 70 

The  white  ant  ( Termes  flavipes  Koll. ) 70 

The  silver  fish  (Lepisma  saccharina  Linn.) 76 

The  book  louse  (Atropos  divinatoria  Fab.) 79 

The  American  spring-tail  ( Lcpidocyrtus  americanus  Marl. ) 81 

Chapter  VI.— Cockroaches  and  house  ants.     (By  C.  L.  Marlatt) 84 

Cockroaches  (Periplaneta  americana,  et  al.) 84 

House  ants  (Monomorixm pharaonis,  et  al.) 95 

Chapter  VII.— Some  insects  affecting  cheese,  hams,  fruit,  and  vinegar. 

(By  L.O.  Howard).; 100 

The  cheese,  ham,  and  flour  mites  ( Tyroglyphus  longior  and  Tyroglyphus  siro) .  100 

The  cheese  skipper  or  ham  skipper  (FiopliUa  casei  Linn) 102 

The  red-legged  ham  beetle  (Xecrobia  rujipes  Fab.) 105 

The  larder  beetle  (Dermcstes  lardarius  Linn.) 107 

The  fruit  flies  or  vinegar  flies  (Drosopliila  spp.) 109 

Chapter  VIII.— Insects  affecting  cereals  and  other  dry  vegetable 

foods.     (By  F.  H.  Chittenden) 112 

The  flour  beetles 112 

The  meal-worms 115 

The  meal  moths 118 

The  grain  beetles 1  L'<  I 

The  drug-store  beetle  and  its  allies 124 

Species  of  occasional  occurrence  in  vegetable  s-tores 128 

3 


\ 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Fig.    1. — Culex  pungons:  adult 10 

2. — Culex  pungens  :  eggs  and  young  larva; 11 

3. — Culex  pungens  :  head  of  larva 13 

4. — Culex  pungens:  larva  and  pupa 15 

5. — Pules  serraticeps  :  egg,  adult,  etc 25 

6. — Pulex  serraticeps :  larva 27 

7. — Cimex  lectularius :  adult 32 

8. — Cimex  lectularius:  egg  and  young  larva 33 

9. — Cimex  lectulariua  :  larval  stages 35 

10. — Conorhinus  sanguisuga  :  pupa  and  adults 39 

11. — Conorhinus  sanguisuga:  larva  and  egg 40 

12. — Conorhinus  sanguisuga:  head,  showing  mouth-parts 41 

13. — Musca  domestica  :  adult,  puparium,  etc 43 

14. — Musca  domestica :  larva 45 

15. — Musca  domestica :  pupa 46 

16. — Scutigera  forceps :  adult 48 

17. — Scutigera  forceps :  larva 49 

18. — Bryohia  pratensis:  females  and  details 51 

19. — Bryohia  pratensis:  larva 52 

20. — Gryllus  domes ticus :  adult 53 

21. — Gryllus  assimilis  :  adult 54 

22. — Gryllus  assimilis:  wings 55 

23. — Anthrenus  scrophulari;e  :  all  stages 58 

24. — Attagenus  piceus:  all  stages 61 

25. — Tinea  pellionella  :  adult  and  larva 63 

26. — Tineola  hiselliella :  adult,  larva,  and  cocoon 66 

27. — Trichophaga  tapetzella:  adult  moth 67 

28. — Termes  flavipes:  male  and  female 70 

29. — Termes  llavipes:  head  of  winged  female 72 

30. — Termes  llavipes:  newly  hatched  larva  and  egg 73 

31. — Termes  flavipes:  different  forms 74 

32. — Lepisma  saccharina :  adult 76 

33. — Lepisma  domestica  :  adnlt 77 

34. — Atropos  divinatoria :  adult ." 79 

35. — Lepidocyrtus  americanus:  adult,  dorsal  view 82 

36. — Lepidocyrtus  americanus  :  adult,  ventral  view 82 

37. — Lepidocyrtus  americanus:  adult,  lateral  view 83 

38. — Periplaneta  americana:  adult 8 J 

39. — Periplaneta  americana  :  egg  capsule 89 

40. — Periplaneta  australasiie  :  adult  and  pupa !'l 

41. — Periplaneta  orien talis:  different  forms 92 

42. — Phyllodromia  germanioa:  various  stages 92 

43. — Monomorium  pharaonis  :  female  and  worker 96 

1 1. — Monomorium  minutum  :  male,  female,  and  worker 97 

5 


t  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Fig.  45. — Tetramorium  cffispitnm  :  different  forms 98 

46. — Tyroglyphus  longior :  male  and  female 100 

47. — Tyroglyphns  siro :  female .^.  101 

48. — Piophila  casei :  different  forms 103 

49. — Necrobia  rufipes:  larva  and  adult 105 

50. — Dermestes  lardarius :  larva,  pupa,  and  adult 108 

51. — Drosopliila  ampelopliila :  different  stages 110 

52. — Tribolium  confusum  and  ferrugineum :  different  stages 113 

53. — Echocerus  cornutus :  adult  male 115 

54. — Tenebrio  molitor :  different  stages 116 

55. — Tenebrio  obscurus  :  adjilt  male 118 

56. — Plodia  interpunctella :  different  stages 119 

57. — Pyralis  farinalis :  adult  moth,  etc 119 

58. — Pyralis  farinalis :  eggs,  larva,  etc 120 

59. — Silvanus  surinamensis :  larva,  pupa,  and  adult 121 

60. — Tenebroides  mauritanicus :  larva,  pupa,  and  adult 123 

61. — Sitodrepa  panicea :  larva,  pupa,  and  adult 124 

62. — Sitodrepa  panicea :  head  of  larva 125 

63. — Lasioderma  serricorne :  larva,  pupa,  and  adult 126 

64. — Lasioderma  serricorne :  head  of  larva 126 


INTRODUCTION. 


On  an  average,  from  500  to  000  letters  of  inquiry  are  received  at  this 
office  eacli  month.  A  very  considerable  number  of  these  inquiries 
relate  to  insects  which  are  found  in  houses  and  which  either  annoy  the 
occupants  by  their  direct  attacks  or  are  injurious  to  household  goods 
and  provisions.  The  available  literature  oh  this  class  of  insects  is  not 
extensive.  Prof.  O.  H.  Fernald,  of  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station,  published  a  short  bulletin  on  the  general  subject 
some  three  years  ago,  but  only  a  few  of  the  most  prominent  insects  of 
this  class  were  treated.  Other  American  articles  are  scattered  in 
various  publications,  in  the  reports  of  the  State  entomologists  and 
bulletins  of  the  entomologists  of  the  State  agricultural  experiment 
stations,  and  in  the  entomological  and  other  scientific  journals.  A 
small  volume  was  published  in  England  in  1893,  which  bears  the  title 
of  Our  Household  Insects,  by  Mr.  Edward  A.  Butler,  a  competent 
entomologist,  wbo  has  brought  together  a  mass  of  interesting  facts. 
This  little  volume,  however,  treats  of  English  insects  only.  There  is 
abundant  room,  then,  for  the  present  publication.  Much  that  is  pre- 
sented herewith  is  based  upon  original  observations  in  the  office,  and  all 
accessible  publications  upon  the  species  treated  have  been  consulted. 
As  will  be  observed  from  the  title-page,  the  preparation  of  the  bulletin 
has  been  the  joint  work  of  the  writer  and  of  Messrs.  Marlatt  and  Chit- 
tenden. Mr.  Chittenden's  work  has  been  confined  to  a  concluding 
chapter  on  the  subject  of  the  species  that  affect  dry  vegetable  foods,  a 
labor  for  which  he  is  particularly  well  fitted  by  reason  of  his  long 
study  of  these  species.  There  has  been  no  systematic  division  in  the 
work  of  the  main  portion  of  the  bulletin  between  the  writer  and  Mr. 
Marlatt.  Each  of  us  has  chosen  the  topics  in  which  he  felt  especially 
interested.  It  results  that  longer  or  shorter  articles  by  one  or  the 
other  are  arranged  according  to  the  proper  position  of  the  topic  in  the 
scheme  as  a  whole  and  are  not  brought  together  under  the  respective 
authors.  The  authorship  of  the  individual  articles,  however,  may  be 
readily  accredited  by  the  fact  that  not  only  is  it  displayed  in  the  table 
of  contents,  but  by  the  further  fact  that  the  contributions  are  initialed 
in  every  case. 

The  very  curious  but  not  unexpected  condition  has  been  shown  in 
the  preparation  of  this  bulletin  thai  <-t*  some  of  our  commonest  house 
hold  insects  the  life  history  i^  not  known  with  any  degree  of  exactness, 

7 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

Of  suck  common  species  as  the  household  centipede  (Scutigera  forceps) 
and  the  "silver  fish"  or  "  slicker"  (Lcpisma  spp.)  careful  studies  yet 
remain  to  be  made,  and  it  is  hoped  that  one  of  the  incidental  benefits 
which  will  result  from  the  publication  of  this  bulletin  will  be  this  indi- 
cation of  topics  of  desired  investigation  to  students.  The  illustrations 
have  all  been  made  by  Miss  Sullivan,  with  the  exception  of  those  of 
the  cheese  skipper  and  ham  beetles  and  the  house  centipede,  which 
have  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Otto  Heidemann.  All  drawings  have  been 
made  under  the  supervision  of  the  author  of  the  section  in  which  they 
appear. 

L.  O.  H. 


THE  PRINCIPAL  HOUSEHOLD  INSECTS 

OF   THE 

UNITED  STATES. 


CHAPTER   I. 

MOSQUITOES  AND  FLEAS. 

By  L.  O.  Howard. 


MOSQUITOES. 

(Culicidw  8pp.) 


Although  mosquitoes  are  out-of-door  insects,  they  may  be  considered 
appropriately  under  the  head  of  household  pests,  for  the  reason  that 
they  enter  houses,  to  the  torment  of  the  inhabitants,  all  through  the 
summer  months,  and  many  of  them  pass  the  winter  in  cellars.  In  fact, 
it  is  probably  safe  to  say  that  no  distinctive  household  pest  causes  as 
much  annoyance  as  the  mosquito. 

We  are  accustomed  to  think  and  speak  of  the  mosquito  as  if  there 
were  but  one  species;  yet,  to  our  knowledge,  there  are  no  less  than 
eight  species,  for  example,  which  are  more  or  less  common  in  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  and  the  writer  has  noticed  at  New  Orleans,  La., 
certainly  four  different  species  at  the  same  season  of  the  year,  while  at 
Christmas  time  a  fifth  species,  smaller  than  the  others,  causes  consid- 
erable trouble  in  the  houses  of  that  city.  In  Trinidad  Mr.  Urich  states 
that  he  has  observed  at  least  ten  different  species  from  the  island  of 
St.  Vincent.  In  his  Catalogue  of  the  Diptera  of  North  America  Baron 
Osten  Sacken  records  twenty-one  from  North  America,  and  it  is  per- 
haps safe  to  say  that  not  half  of  the  species  are  described.  In  the 
collection  of  the  United  States  National  Museum  there  are  twenty 
distinct  species,  all  of  which  have  been  authentically  determined  by 
Mr.  Coquillett. 

The  common  species  at  Washington  in  the  months  of  May  and  June 
is  Gulexpungens  Wied.  I  say  the  common  species,  but  do  not  wish  to 
be  understood  as  saying  that  mosquitoes  are  common  in  Washington  at 
that  time  of  the  year.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  city  is  singularly  free 
from  this  little  pest,  and  this  is  .largely  due  to  the  reclamation  of  the 
marshes  of  the  Potomac  River,  which  in  war  times  and  for  a  number 
of  years  afterwards  caused  the  inhabitants  of  this  city  to  suffer  severely 
from  this  insect.  As  late  as  1875,  it  is  said,  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  spend  any  of  the  night  hours  near  the  marshes  without  smudges. 
Later  in  the  season  other  species  become  abundant. 

9 


10 


PEINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


The  writer,  in  the  course  of  certain  observations,  has  carried  C.pun- 
(jihs  through  approximatelytffcwo  generations  in  the  early  part  of  the 
season.     It  is  strange  that  recent  and  definite  observations  upon  accu- 


Fig.  1.—  Culex pungens :  a,  female,  from  side;  b,  male,  from  above;  c,  front  tarsus  of  same;  d,  middle 
tarsus;  e,  hind  tarsus;  /,  genitalia  of  same;  g,  scales  from  hind  border  of  wing;  ft,  scales  from  disk 
of  wing— enlarged  (original). 

rately  determined  species  of  many  of  our  commonest  insects  have  not 
been  published.  This  is  mainly  due  to  the  fact  that  most  entomologists 
have  a  way  of  saving  time  by  following  the  observations  of  older  writers. 


MOSQUITOES    AND    FLEAS. 


11 


This  is  all  well  enough  where  the  species  and  the  conditions  are  identi- 
cal, but  when,  as  is  the  case  with  such  an  insect  as  that  under  observa- 
tion, the  principal  observations  were  made  upon  a  different,  though 
congeneric,  species,  and  in  another  part  of  the  globe,  where  climatic 
and  other  conditions  differ,  the  custom  is  unfortunate.  There  is  not,  in 
any  of  our  published  works,  a  thoroughly  satisfactory  figure  of  a  well- 
determined  species  of  mosquito,  or  of  its  earlier  stages.  The  statements 
quoted  in  the  text-books  and  manuals  date  back,  in  general,  to  the  time 
of  Reaumur,  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  These  observations  were 
made  in  the  month  of  May,  upon  a  species  {Culex  pipiens)  which  does 
not  occur  in  North  America,  and  in  the  one  locality  of  Paris,  France. 
The  notes  made  upon  ('.  pungens  at  Washington  possess, therefore,  some 
scientific  importance. 


Fig.  2. — Culex  pungens:  Egg-mass  above  in  center;  young  larva,  greatly  enlarged,  at  right;  young 
larvsB,  not  so  much  enlarged,  below;  enlarged  eggs  above  at  left  (original). 


The  operation  of  egg-laying  was  not  observed,  but  it  probably  takes 
place  in  the  very  early  morning  hours.  The  eggs  are  laid  in  the  usual 
boar-shaped  mass,  just  as  those  of  C.  pipiens,  as  described  by  Reaumur. 
We  say  boat  shaped  mass,  because  that  is  the  ordinary  expression.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  egg  masses  are  of  all  sorts  of  shapes. 
The  most  common  one  is  the  pointed  ellipse,  convex  below  and  concave 
above,  all  the  eggs  perpendicular,  in  six  to  thirteen  longitudinal  rows, 
with  from  .*>  or  4  to  40  eggs  in  a  row.  The  number  of  eggs  in  each  batch 
varies  from  200  to  400.  As  seen  from  above,  the  egg-mass  is  gray  brown  ; 
from  below,  silvery  white,  the  latter  appearance  being  due  to  the  air 
film.  It  seems  impossible  to  wet  these  egg  masses.  They  may  be 
pushed  under  water,  but  bob  up,  apparently  as  dry  as  ever.  The  i  __ 
mass  separates  rather  regularly  and  the  eggs  are  not  stink  together 


12  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

very  firmly.     After  they  have  hatched  the  mass  will  disintegrate  in  a 
few  days,  even  in  perfectly  still  water. 

The  individual  eggs  are  0.7  nun.  in  length  and  0.1G  mm.  in  diameter 
at  the  base.  They  are  slender,  broader  and  blunt  at  bottom,  slenderer 
and  somewhat  pointed  at  tip.  The  tip  is  always  dark  grayish  brown  in 
color,  while  the  rest  of  the  egg  is  dirty  white.  Repeated  observations 
show  that  the  eggs  hatch,  under  advantageous  conditions,  certainly  as 
soon  as  sixteen  hours.  Water  buckets  containing  no  egg  masses,  placed 
out  at  night,  were  found  to  contain  egg  masses  at  8  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
which,  as  above  stated,  weregorobably  laid  in  the  early  morning,  before 
dayiight.  These  eggs,  the  third  week  in  May,  began  to  hatch  quite 
regularly  at  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  on  warm  days. 
In  cooler  weather  they  sometimes  remained  unhatched  until  the  second 
day.  If  we  apply  the  evidence  of  European  observers  to  this  species, 
the  period  of  the  egg  state  may  be  under  twelve  hours;  but  there  is  a 
possibility  that  they  are  laid  earlier  in  the  night,  which  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  sixteen  hours  is  the  shortest  period  which  we  can  definitely 
mention. 

The  larvae  issue  from  the  underside  of  the  egg  masses,  and  are  ex- 
tremely active  at  birth.  When  first  observed  it  is  easy  to  fall  into  an 
error  regarding  the  length  of  time  which  they  can  remain  underwater, 
or  rather  without  coming  to  the  surface  to  breathe,  since,  in  striving  to 
come  to  the  surface  for  air,  many  of  them  will  strike  the  underside  of 
the  egg  mass  and  remain  there  for  many  minutes.  It  is  altogether 
likely,  however,  that  they  get  air  at  this  point  through  the  eggs  or 
through  the  air  film  by  which  the  egg  mass  is  surrounded,  and  that 
they  are  as  readily  drowned  by  continuous  immersion  as  are  the  older 
ones,  as  will  be  shown  later. 

One  of  the  first  peculiarities  which  strikes  one  on  observing  these 
newly  hatched  larvae  under  the  lens  is  that  the  tufts  of  filaments  which 
are  conspicuous  at  the  mouth  are  in  absolutely  constant  vibration. 
This  peculiarity,  aud  the  wriggling  of  the  larvae  through  the  water,  aud 
their  great  activity,  render  them  interesting  objects  of  study.  In  gen- 
eral, the  larvae,  passing  through  apparently  three  different  stages,  reach 
maturity  and  transform  to  pupae  in  a  minimum  of  seven  days.  When 
nearly  full  grown  their  movements  were  studied  with  more  care,  as 
they  were  easier  to  observe  than  when  newly  hatched.  At  this  time 
the  larva  remains  near  the  surface  of  the  water,  with  its  respiratory 
siphon  at  the  exact  surface  and  its  mouth  filaments  in  constant  vibra 
tion,  directing  food  into  the  mouth  cavity.  Occasionally  the  larva 
descends  to  the  bottom,  but,  though  repeatedly  timed,  a  healthy  indi- 
vidual was  never  seen  to  remain  voluntarily  below  the  surface  more 
than  a  minute.  In  ascending  it  conies  up  with  an  effort,  with  a  series 
of  jerks  and  wrigglings  with  its  tail.  It  descends  without  effort,  but 
ascends  with  difficulty;  in  other  words,  its  specific  gravity  seems  to  be 
greater  than  that  of  the  water.     As  soon,  however,  as  the  respiratory 


MOSQUITOES    AND    FLEAS. 


13 


siphon  reaches  the  surface,  fresh  air  flows  into  its  tracheae,  and  the 
physical  properties  of  the  so-called  surface  film  of  the  water  assist  it 
in  maintaining  its  position. 

The  account  by  Miall,  in  his  recently  published  Natural  History  of 
Aquatic  Insects,  is  misleading,  for  the  reason  thai  he  assumes  that  the 
end  of  the  body,  with  its  four  (or, as  lie  has  it,  five)  leaf-like  expansions, 
is  the  breathing  organ.  Asa  matter  of  fact,  as  is  plainly  shown  by 
fig.  2,  this  end  of  the  body  does  not  reach  the  surface,  and  il  is  the 
tip  of  the  respiratory  siphon  only  which  is  extended  to  the  air.  This 
respiratory  tube  takes  its  origin  from  the  tip  of  the  eighth  abdominal 
segment,  and  the  very  large  tracheae  can  be  seen  extending  to  its 
extremity,  where  they  have  a  double  orifice.  The  ninth  segment  of 
the  abdomen  is  armed  at  the  tip  with  four  Haps  and  six  hairs, as  shown 
in  tig.  4.  These  flaps  are  gill-like  in  appearance,  though  they  are  prob- 
ably simply  locomotory  in  function.     With  so  remarkably  developed  an 


Fit;.  3. — Culexpungens:  Head  of  larva  from  below  at  left;  Bame  from  above  at  right- 

(original). 


[reatly  enlarged 


apparatus  for  direct  air  breathing  there  is  no  necessity  for  gill  struct- 
ures. Kaschke1  and  Hurst2  consider  that  the  larva  breathes  both  by 
the  anus  and  by  these  gill  flaps,  as  well  as  by  the  large  trachea'  which 
open  at  the  tip  of  the  respiratory  tube.  Raschke  considers  that  these 
trachea'  are  so  unnecessarily  large  that  they  possess  a  hydrostatic 
function.  The  writer  is  inclined  to  believe  that  the  gill  flaps  may  be 
functional  as  branchial  structures  in  the  young  larva,  but  that  they 
largely  lose  this  oflice  in  later  life. 

After  seven  or  eight  days,  at  a  minimum,  as  just  stated,  the  larva 
transforms  to  pupa.  The  pupa,  as  has  .been  repeatedly  pointed  out 
with  other  species,  differs  most  pronouncedly  from  the  larva  in  the 
great  swelling  of  the  thoracic  segments.     In  this  stage  the  insect    is 


lRaschke,  Die  Larve  von  Culex  ncmorostw,  Berlin,  lvvT. 
3 Hurst,  The  Pupal  Stage  <>t'  Cnlex,  Manchester,  L890, 


14  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

lighter  than  water.  It  remains  motionless  at  the  surface,  and  when 
disturbed  does  not  sink  without  effort,  as  does  the  larva,  but  is  only 
able  to  descend  by  a  violent  muscular  action.  It  wriggles  and  swims 
as  actively  as  does  the  larva,  and  soon  reaches  the  bottom  of  the  jar 
or  breeding  place.  As  soon  as  it  ceases  to  exert  itself,  however,  it 
11  oats  gradually  up  to  the  surface  of  the  water  again.  The  fact'  how- 
ever, that  the  larva,  after  it  is  once  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  sinks 
rather  than  rises,  accounts  for  the  death  of  many  individuals.  If  they 
become  sick  or  weak,  or  for  any  reason  are  unable  to  exert  sufficient 
muscular  force  to  wriggle  to  the  surface  at  frequent  intervals,  they  will 
actually  drown,  and  the  writer  has  seen  many  of  them  die  in  this  way. 
It  seems  almost  like  a  contradiction  in  terms  to  speak  of  an  aquatic 
insect  drowning,  but  this  is  a  frequent  cause  of  mortality  among  wrig- 
glers. This  fact  also  explains  the  efficacy  of  the  remedial  treatment 
which  causes  the  surface  of  the  water  to  become  covered  with  a  film  of 
oil  of  any  kind.  Aside  from  the  actual  insecticide  effect  of  the  oil,  the 
larvae  drown  from  not  being  able  to  reach  the  air.  The  structure  of  the 
pupa  differs  in  no  material  respect  from  that  of  corresponding  stages 
of  European  species,  as  so  admirably  figured  and  described  by  the  older 
writers,  notably  Reaumur  and  Swammerdam,1  and  needs  no  description 
in  view  of  the  care  with  which  the  figures  accompanying  this  article 
have  been  drawn.  The  air  tubes  no  longer  open  at  the  anal  end  of  the 
body,  but  through  two  trumpet-shaped  sclerites  on  the  thorax,  from 
which  it  results  that  the  pupa  remains  upright  at  the  surface,  instead 
of  with  the  head  downward.  There  is  a  very  apparent  object  in  this 
reversal  of  the  position  of  the  body,  since  the  adult  insect  issues  from 
the  thorax  and  needs  the  floating  skin  to  support  itself  while  its  wings 
are  expanding. 

In  general,  the  adult  insects  issue  from  the  pupae  that  are  two  days 
old.  This  gives  what  is  probably  the  minimum  generation  for  this 
species  as  ten  days,  namely,  sixteen  to  twenty-four  hours  for  the  egg, 
seven  days  for  the  larva,  and  two  days  for  the  pupa,  The  individuals 
emerging  on  the  first  day  were  invariably  males.  On  the  second  day 
the  great  majority  were  males,  but  there  were  also  a  few  females.  The 
preponderance  of  males  continued  to  bold  for  three  days;  later  the 
females  were  in  the  majority.  In  confinement  the  males  died  quickly; 
several  lived  for  four  days,  but  none  for  more  than  that  period.  The 
females,  however,  lived  for  a  much  longer  time.  Some  were  kept  alive 
without  food,  in  a  confined  space  of  not  more  than  4  inches  deep  by  6 
across,  for  three  weeks.  But  one  egg  mass  was  deposited  in  confine- 
ment. This  was  deposited  on  the  morning  of  June  30  by  a  female  which 
issued  from  the  pupa  June  2%.  No  further  observations  were  made 
upon  the  time  elapsing  between  the  emergence  of  the  female  and  the 
laying  of  the  eggs,  but  in  no  case,  probably,  does  it  exceed  a  few  days. 

1  Even  Bonanni,  in  1691,  gave  very  fair  figures  of  the  larva  and  pupa  of  a  European 
species.     Micrographia  Curiosa,  Rome,  MDCXCI,  Pars.  II,  Tab.  I. 


MOSQUITOES   AND    FLEAS. 


15 


The  length  of  time  which  elapses  for  a  generation,  which  we  have 
just  mentioned,  is  almost  indefinitely  enlarged  if  the  weather  be  cool. 
As  a  matter  of  faet,  a  long  spell  of  eool  weather  followed  the  issuing  of 
the  adults  just  mentioned.  Larvae  were  watched  for  twenty  days,  dur- 
ing which  time  they  did  not  reach  full  growth. 

The  extreme  shortness  of  this  June  generation  is  significant.  It 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  swarms  of  mosquitoes  may  develop  upon 
occasion  in  surface  pools  of  rain  water,  which  may  dry  up  entirely  in 


FlO.  i.  —  f'iilex  pungen8:  Full-grown  larva  at  left;  pupa  at  right  above,  its  anal  segment  below — all 

greatly  enlarged  (original). 

the  course  of  two  weeks,  or  in  a  chance  bucket  of  water  left  undis- 
turbed for  that  length  of  time.  Further,  the  shortness  of  this  genera- 
tion was,  while  not  unexpected,  not  at  ail  in  accordance  with  any  pub- 
lished statements  as  to  the  length  of  lite  of  any  immature  mosquito  <»)' 
any  species.  But  these  published  statements,  as  previously  shown, 
were  nearly  all  based  upon  observations  made  in  a  colder  climate  and 
in  the  month  of  May. 

On  August  1  Mr.  F.  C.  Pratt,  an  assistant  in  the  division  of  ento- 


16  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

mology,  brought  in  from  Lakeland,  Md.,  a  small  place  9  miles  from 
Washington,  specimens  of  a  large  and  very  ferocious  mosquito,  which 
Mr.  Coquillett  determined  as  Anopheles  quadrimaculatus  Say,  a  species 
which  had  previously  been  observed  at  Washington  in  August.  This 
mosquito  was  very  abundant  at  Lakeland  at  the  time,  and  its  eggs 
were  obtained,  but  rearing  operations  were  interrupted  by  absence  from 
Washington.  At  the  same  time  the  commonest  of  the  mosquitoes 
at  Washington  was  found  to  be  Culex  consobrinus.  This  latter  species 
was  one  which  was  studied  by  the  writer  in  1892  in  the  Catskill  Moun- 
tains, near  Tannersville,  Greene  County,  N.  Y.  This  species  in  Wash- 
ington became,  during  August,  more  abundant  than  C.pungens.  Octo- 
ber 25,  however,  the  writer  found  both  species  in  his  house,  which  they 
had  evidently  entered  for  hibernation.  In  1893  several  specimens  of 
pungens  were  taken  in  the  month  of  January  in  the  cellar  of  his  house 
in  Georgetown.  This  hibernation  in  cellars  as  well  as  in  outhouses 
is  very  common,  although  it  is  not  frequently  referred  to.  Specimens 
of  G.  consobrinus  were  received  in  November,  1894,  from  J.  M.  Wade,  of 
Boston,  with  the  statement  that  they  were  abundant  in  his  cellar  in 
that  city.  The  cellar  was  very  cold,  although  in  one  corner  there  was 
a  tin  furnace  pipe.  The  mosquitoes  avoided  the  warm  corner,  antt  were 
always  thickest  in  the  cold  parts  of  the  cellar.  So  abundant  were  they 
that  if  a  lamp  were  held  up  the  inside  of  the  chimney  would  soon  be 
covered  half  an  inch  thick  with  their  bodies. 

The  degree  of  cold  seems  to  make  no  difference  with  this  successful 
hibernation.  Arctic  explorers  have  long  since  recorded  the  abundance 
of  mosquitoes  in  the  extreme  north.  In  the  narrative  of  0.  F.  Hall's 
second  arctic  expedition  the  statement  is  made  that  mosquitoes  appeared 
on  the  7th  of  July,  1869,  in  extraordinary  abundance.  Dr.  E.  Sterling, 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  has  sent  us  an  account  of  the  appearance  of  mos- 
quitoes by  thousands  in  March,  1844,  when  he  was  on  a  snowshoe  trip 
from  Mackinaw  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie.  Their  extraordinary  numbers  at 
this  season  of  the  year  is  remarkable,  indicating  a  most  plentiful 
hibernation.  Mr.  H.  Stewart,  of  North  Carolina,  has  written  us  of  a 
similar  experience  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior  in  18G6.  On 
warm  days  in  March,  when  the  snow  was  several  feet  deep  and  the  ice 
on  the  lake  5  feet  in  thickness,  mosquitoes  appeared  in  swarms,  " literally 
blackening  the  banks  of  snow  in  the  sheltered  places."  The  Indians 
told  Mr.  Stewart  that  the  mosquitoes  lived  through  the  winter,  and 
that  the  old  ones  were  the  most  annoying  to  them.  May  9, 1896,  Mr. 
Lugger  sent  the  writer  from  St.  Anthony  Park,  Minn.,  specimens  of  C. 
consobrinus,  stating  that  it  caine  in  a  genuine  swarm  in  April,  with  a 
heavy  snowstorm,  at  a  time  when  all  of  the  lakes  were  covered  with 
ice — "Minnesota's  most  certain  crop." 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  adult  male  mosquito  does  not  neces- 
sarily take  nourishment,  and  that  the  adult  female  does  not  necessarily 
rely  upon  the  blood  of  warm-blooded  animals.    They  are  plant  feeders 


MOSQUITOES   AND    FLEAS.  17 

and  have  also  been  recorded  as  feeding  upon  insects.  Dr.  Hagen  men- 
tions taking  a  species  in  the  Northwest  feeding  upon  the  chrysalis  of  a 
butterfly,  while  scattered  through  the  seven  volumes  of  [nsecl  Life  are 

a  number  of  records  of  observations  of  a  vegetarian  habit,  one  writer 
stating  that  he  has  seen  them  with  their  beaks  inserted  in  boiled 
potatoes  on  the  table,  and  another  that  lie  has  seen  watermelon  rinds 
with  man  j  mosquitoes  settled  upon  them  and  busilyengaged  in  sucking 
the  juices.  Mosquitoes  undoubtedly  feed  normally  on  the  juices  of 
plants,  and  not  one  in  a  million  ever  gets  an  opportunity  to  taste  the 
blood  of  a  warm  blooded  animal.  When  we  think  of  the  enormous 
tracts  of  marsh  land  into  which  warm-blooded  animals  never  pene- 
trate, and  in  which  mosquitoes  are  breeding  in  countless  numbers,  the 
truth  of  this  statement  becomes  apparent.  The  males  have  been 
observed  sipping  at  drops  of  water,  and  one  instance  of  a  fondness  for 
molasses  has  been  recorded.  Mr.  E.  A.  Schwarz  has  observed  one 
drinking  beer. 

The  literature  of  popular  entomology  is  full  of  instances  of  the  enor- 
mous numbers  in  which  mosquitoes  occasionally  occur,  but  a  new 
instance  may  not  be  out  of  place  here.  Mr.  Schwarz  tells  the  writer 
that  he*  has  never  seen,  even  in  New  Jersey,  mosquitoes  to  compare  in 
numbers  with  those  at  Corpus  Christi,  Tex.  When  the  wind  blows  from 
any  other  direction  than  south,  he  says,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  mil- 
lions of  mosquitoes  blow  in  upon  the  town.  Great  herds  of  hundreds 
of  horses  run  before  the  mosquitoes  in  order  to  get  to  the  water.  With 
a  change  of  wind,  however,  the  mosquitoes  blow  away. 

REMEDIES  AGAINST  MOSQUITOES. 

Of  the  remedies  in  use  in  houses  the  burning  of  pyrethrum  powder 
and  the  catching  of  the  mosquitoes  on  the  walls  with  kerosene  in  cups, 
as  described  in  Insect  Life  (Vol.  V,  p.  143),  are  probably  the  best,  next 
to  a  thorough  screening  and  mosquito  bars  about  the  bed.  It  may  be  of 
interest  to  mention  incidentally  a  remedy  in  use  among  the  Chinese,  as 
recorded  in  Robert  Fortune's  "Residence  Among  the  Chinese:  Scenes 
and  Axlventures  Among  the  Chinese  in  1853-185G"  (London,  1857). 
Long-necked  bags  of  paper,  half  an  inch  in  diameter  and  2  feet  long,  are 
filled  with  the  following  substances:  Either  pine  or  juniper  sawdust, 
mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  "nu-waug"  and  1  ounce  of  arsenic. 
These  substances  are  well  mixed  and  run  into  the  bags  in  a  dry  state; 
each  bag  is  coiled  like  a  snake  and  wrapped  and  tied  with  thread.  The 
outer  end  is  lighted  and  the  coil  laid  on  a  board.  Two  coils  are  sulli- 
cient  for  an  ordinary-sized  room,  and  U)0  coils  sell  for  6  cents.  Mr. 
Mun  Yen  Chung,  of  the  Chinese  legation,  has  been  good  enough  to  inform 
the  writer  that  by  "nu-wang"  Mr.  Fortune  probably  meant  liu-wang 
(brimstone). 

Altogether  the  most  satisfactory  ways  of  lighting  mosquitoes  are 
those  which  result  in  the  destruction  of  the  larva-  or  the  abolition  of 
L>805— Xo.  4 2 


18  PRINCIPAL   HOUSEHOLD   INSECTS. 

their  breeding  places.  In  not  every  locality  are  these  measures  feasible, 
but  in  many  places  there  is  absolutely  no  necessity  for  the  mosquito 
annoyance.  The  three  main  preventive  measures  are  the  draining  of 
breeding  places,  the  introduction  of  small  fish  into  Ashless  breeding 
places,  and  the  treatment  of  such  pools  with  kerosene.  These  are  three 
alternatives,  any  one  of  which  will  be  efficacious,  and  anyone  of  which 
may  be  used  where  there  are  reasons  against  the  trial  of  the  others. 

In  1892  the  writer  published  the  first  account  of  extensive  out-of-doors 
experiments  to  determine  the  actual  effect  upon  the  mosquitoes  of  a 
thin  layer  of  kerosene  upon  the  surface  of  water  in  breeding  pools  and 
the  relative  amount  to  be  used.  He  showed  the  quantity  of  kerosene 
necessary  for  a  given  water  surface,  anil  demonstrated  further  that 
not  only  are  the  larvas  and  pupae  thereby  destroyed  almost  immedi- 
ately, but  that  the  female  mosquitoes  are  not  deterred  from  attempt- 
ing to  oviposit  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  that  they  are  thus 
destroyed  in  large  numbers  before  their  eggs  are  laid.  He  also  showed 
approximately  the  length  of  time  for  which  one  such  treatment  would 
remain  operative,  ^o  originality  was  claimed  for  the  suggestion,  hut 
only  for  the  more  or  less  exact  experimentation.  The  writer  himself, 
as  early  as  1867,  had  found  that  kerosene  would  kill  mosquito  larvre, 
aud  the  same  knowledge  was  probably  put  in  practice,  although  without 
publicity,  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  In  fact,  Mr.  H.  E.  Weed  states 
(Insect  Life,  Vol.  VII,  p.  212)  that  in  the  French  quarter  of  Xew  Orleans 
it  has  been  a  common  practice  for  many  years  to  place  kerosene  in  the 
water  tanks  to  lessen  the  numbers  of  mosquitoes  in  a  given  locality, 
although  he  knew  nothing  that  had  been  written  to  show  that  such  was 
the  case,  and  he  says:  "In  this  age  of  advancement  we  can  no  longer 
go  by  hearsay  evidence."  Suggestions  as  to  the  use  of  kerosene,  and 
even  experiments  on  a  water  surface  10  inches  square,  showing  that 
the  larvae  could  be  killed  by  kerosene,  were  recorded  by  Mrs.  0.  B. 
Aaron  in  her  Lamborn  prize  essay  and  published  in  the  work  entitled 
"  Dragon  Flies  versus  Mosquitoes  "  (D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1800).  Mr.  W. 
Beutenmuller  also  in  the  same  work  made  the  same  suggestion. 

The  quantity  of  kerosene  to  be  practically  used,  as  shown  by  the 
writer's  experiments,  is  approximately  1  ounce  to  15  square  feet  of 
water  surface,  and  ordinarily  the  application  need  not  be  renewed  for 
one  month.  Since  1892  several  demonstrations,  on  both  a  large  and  a 
small  scale,  have  been  made.  Two  localities  were  rid  of  the  mosquito 
plague  under  the  supervision  of  the  writer  by  the  use  of  kerosene 
alone.  Mr.  Weed,  in  the  article  above  mentioned,  states  that  he  rid 
the  college  campus  of  the  Mississippi  Agricultural  College  of  mosquitoes 
by  the  treatment  with  kerosene  of  eleven  large  water  tanks.  Dr.  John 
B.  Smith  has  recorded,  though  without  details,  success  with  this  remedy 
in  two  cases  on  Long  Island  (Insect  Life,  Vol.  VI,  p.  91).  Prof.  J.  H. 
Comstock  tells  the  writer  that  a  similar  series  of  experiments,  with 
perfectly  satisfactory  results,  was  carried  out  by  Mr.  Vernon  L.  Kel- 
logg on  the  campus  of  Stanford  University,  at  Palo  Alto,  Cal.     In  this 


MOSQUITOES    AND    FLEAS.  19 

case  post  boles  filled  with  surface  water  were  treated,  with  the  result 
that  the  inosquito  plague  was  almost  immediately  alleviated. 

Additional  experiments  on  a  somewhat  larger  scale  have  been  made 
by  Rev.  John  D.  Long  at  Oak  Island  Beach.  Long  Island  Sound,  and 
by  Mr.  W.  R.  Hopson,  near  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  also  on  the  shores  of 
Long  Island  Sound,  the  experiments  in  both  cases  indicating  the  effi- 
cacy of  the  remedy  when  applied  intelligently.  I  have  not  been  able 
to  learn  the  details  of  Mr.  ilopson's  operations,  but  am  told  that  they 
included  extensive  draining  as  well  as  the  use  of  kerosene. 

It  is  not,  however,  the  great  sea  marshes  along  the  coast,  where  mos- 
quitoes breed  in  countless  numbers,  which  we  can  expect  to  treat  by 
this  method,  but  the  inland  places,  where  the  mosquito  supply  is  derived 
from  comparatively  small  swamps  and  circumscribed  pools.  In  most 
localities  people  endure  the  torment  or  direct  their  remedies  against 
the  adult  insect  only,  without  the  slightest  attempt  to  investigate  the 
source  of  the  supply,  when  the  very  first  step  should  be  the  undertak- 
ing of  such  an  investigation.  En  "Gleanings  in  Bee  Culture"  (October 
1,  1895)  we  notice  the  statement  in  the  California  column  that  in  some 
California  towns  the  pit  or  vault  behind  water-closets  is  subject  to 
flushing  with  water  during  the  irrigation  of  the  land  near  by.  A 
period  of  several  weeks  elapses  before  more  water  is  turned  in,  and  in 
the  meantime  the  water  becomes  stagnant  and  the  breeding  place  of 
millions  of  mosquitoes.  Then,  as  the  correspondent  says,  " people  go 
around  wondering  where  all  the  mosquitoes  come  from,  put  up  screens, 
burn  buhach,  and  make  a  great  fuss."  Nothing  could  be  easier  than 
to  pour  an  ounce  of  kerosene  into  each  of  these  pits,  and  all  danger 
from  mosquitoes  will  have  passed. 

In  many  houses  iu  Baltimore,  Md.,  the  sewage  drains  first  into  wells 
or  sinks  in  the  backyard,  and  thence  in  some  cases  into  sewers,  and  in 
other  cases  is  pumped  out  periodically.  These  wells  invariably  have 
open  privies  built  over  them,  and  the  mosquitoes,  which  breed  in  the 
stagnant  contents  of  the  sinks,  have  free  egress  into  the  open  air  back 
of  the  houses.  Hence  parts  of  Baltimore  much  further  removed  from 
either  running  or  stagnant  water  than  certain  parts  of  Washington, 
where  no  mosquitoes  are  found,  are  terribly  mosquito  ridden,  and  sleep 
without  mosquito  bars  is,  from  May  to  December,  almost  impossible. 
Specimens  of  Culex  pungens  captured  November  5  in  such  a  privy  as 
described  have  been  brought  to  the  writer  from  Baltimore  by  one  of  his 
assistants,  Mr.  R.  M.  Reese. 

Kerosene  has  been  tried  by  Mr.  Reese  in  one  case  in  Baltimore,  and 
two  treatments  of  a  privy  made  about  May  1  and  June  1,  respectively) 
seemed  to  diminish  the  numbers  of  the  pest  in  that  particular  house; 
but  without  concerted  action  of  all  the  householders  in  a  given  block 
(all  the  houses,  be  it  remembered,  being  exactly  alike  in  the  method  of 
sewage  disposal)  no  great  amount  of  good  could  be  accomplished. 
With  such  concerted  action,  however,  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why 


20  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

the  mosquito  plague  could  not  be  greatly  diminished  in  many,  if  not 
most,  parts  of  Baltimore  at  a  very  small  expense.  Usually  one  well 
serves  two  houses,  the  privies  being  built  in  pairs,  so  that  one  treatment 
would  suffice  for  two  dwellings. 

On  ponds  of  any  size  the  quickest  and  most  perfect  method  of  form- 
ing a  film  of  kerosene  will  be  to  spray  the  oil  over  the  surface  of  the 
w  uter. 

The  remedy  which  depends  upon  draining  breeding  places  needs  no 
extended  discussion.  Naturally  the  draining  off  of  the  water  of  pools 
will  prevent  mosquitoes  from  breeding  there,  and  the  possibility  of 
such  draining  and  the  means  by  which  it  may  be  done  will  vary  with 
each  individual  case.  The  writer  is  informed  that  an  elaborate  bit  of 
work  which  has  been  done  at  Virginia  Beach  bears  on  this  method. 
Behind  the  hotels  at  this  place,  the  hotels  themselves  fronting  upon 
the  beach,  was  a  large  fresh- water  lake,  which,  with  its  adjoining 
swamps,  was  a  source  of  mosquito  supply,  and  it  was  further  feared 
that  it  made  the  neighborhood  malarious.  Two  canals  were  cut  from 
the  lake  to  the  ocean,  and  by  means  of  machinery  the  water  of  the 
lake  was  changed  from  a  body  of  fresh  to  a  body  of  salt  water.  Water 
that  is  somewhat  brackish  will  support  mosquitoes,  but  water  which 
is  purely  salt  will  destroy  them. 

The  introduction  of  fish  into  Ashless  breeding  places  is  another  mat- 
ter. It  may  be  undesirable  to  treat  certain  breeding  places  with  kero- 
sene, as,  for  instance,  water  which  is  intended  for  drinking,  although 
this  has  been  done  without  harm  in  tanks  where,  as  is  customary,  the 
drinking  supply  is  drawn  from  the  bottom  of  the  tank.  An  interesting 
case  noted  in  Insect  Life  (Vol.  IV,  p.  223),  in  which  a  pair  of  carp  was 
placed  in  each  of  several  tanks,  in  the  Eiviera,  is  a  case  in  point.  The 
value  of  most  small  fishes  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  mosquito 
larvae  was  well  indicated  by  an  experience  described  to  us  by  Mr. 
0.  H.  Russell,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.  In  this  case  a  very  high  tide  broke 
•away  a  dike  and  flooded  the  salt  meadows  of  Stratford,  a  small  town 
a  few  miles  from  Bridgeport.  The  receding  tide  left  two  small  lakes, 
nearly  side  by  side  and  of  the  same  size.  In  one  lake  the  tide  left  a 
dozen  or  more  small  fishes,  while  the  other  was  Ashless.  An  examination 
by  Mr.  Uussell  in  the  summer  of  1891  showed  that  while  the  Ashless 
lake  contained  tens  of  thousands  of  mosquito  larva?,  that  containing 
the  fish  had  no  larvae. 

The  use  of  carp  for  this  purpose  has  been  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
paragraph,  but  most  small  fish  will  answer  as  well.  The  writer  knows 
of  none  that  will  be  better  than  either  of  the  common  little  stickle- 
backs (Gasterosteus  aculeatus  or  Pygostens  pungitius).  They  are  small, 
but  very  active  and  very  voracious.  Mr.  F.  W.  Urich,  of  Trinidad, 
has  written  us  that  there  is  a  little  cyprinoid  common  in  that  island 
which  answers  admirably  for  this  purpose.  This  fish  has  not  been 
specifically  determined,  but  we  hope  to  make  an  effort  to  introduce  it 


MOSQUITOES   AND    FLEAS.  21 

into  our  Southern  States,  if  it  proves  to  be  new  to  our  fauna.  At  Bee- 
ville,  Tex.,  a  little  fish  is  used  for  this  purpose  which  is  there  called  a 
perch,  although  we  have  not  been  able  to  find  out  just  what  the  species 
is.  They  soon  eat  up  the  mosquito  larva*,  however,  and  in  order  to  keep 
them  alive  the  people  adopt  an  ingenious  fly  trap,  which  they  keep  in 
their  houses  and  in  which  about  a  quart  of  flies  a  day  is  caught.  These 
flies  are  then  fed  to  the  fish.  This  makes  a  little  circle  which  strikes 
us  as  particularly  ingenious  and  pleasant.  The  fly  traps  catch  the 
flies  and  rid  the  house  of  that  pest.  The  flies  are  fed  to  the  fish  in 
the  water  tanks  and  keep  them  alive  in  order  that  they  may  feed  on 
the  mosquito  larva1,  thus  keeping  the  houses  free  of  mosquitoes. 

Where  kerosene  is  considered  objectionable,  and  where  fish  can  not 
be  readily  obtained,  there  is  another  course  left  open.  It  is  the  con- 
stant artificial  agitation  of  the  water,  since  mosquitoes  will  oviposit 
only  in  still  water.  At  San  Diego,  Tex.,  in  the  summer  there  are  no 
streams  for  many  miles,  but  plenty  of  mosquitoes  breed  in  the  water 
tanks.  Some  enterprising  individuals  keep  their  tanks  free  by  patting 
in  a  little  wheel,  which  is  turned  by  the  windmill,  and  keeps  the  water 
almost  constantly  agitated. 

THE  MOSQUITOES  OF  THE  COUNTRY  AT  LARGE. 

In  the  introductory  paragraph  the  writer  has  indicated  that  we  have 
numerous  species  among  the  mosquitoes  of  the  United  States  and  that 
several  different  species  may  occur  in  the  same  locality.  It  happens, 
however,  that  no  definite  knowledge  exists,  even  among  entomologists 
as  to  the  exact  species  which  may  be  found  in  any  given  locality.  The 
desirability  of  a  careful  study  of  our  mosquitoes  is  therefore  apparent. 
As  a  preliminary  step,  the  writer  borrowed  all  of  the  mosquitoes  from 
the  collections  of  Prof.  Lawrence  Bruner,  of  the  University  of  Nebraska, 
Lincoln,  Nebr. ;  Prof.  J.  H.  Comstock,  of  Cornell  University,  Ithaca, 
N.  Y.;  Prof.  H.  Garman,  of  the  agricultural  experiment  station  at 
Lexington,  Ky.;  Prof.  0.  P.  Gillette,  agricultural  experiment  station, 
Fort  Collins,  Colo.;  Prof.  C.  W.  Johnson,  Wagner  Free  Institute,  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa.;  Prof.  Otto  Lugger,  agricultural  experiment  station, 
St.  Anthony  Park,  Minn.:  Dr.  W.  A.  Xason,  Algonquin,  111.,  and  Mr. 
Th.  Pergande,  Washington,  D.  C.  The  material  thus  received,  together 
with  the  collection  of  Culicidae  of  the  department  of  insects  in  the 
National  Museum,  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  D.  W.  Coquillett  for 
specific  study. 

The  results  of  this  study  were  interesting.  Mr.  Coquillett  had  under 
his  hands  mosquitoes  from  nearly  all  portions  of  the  United  States. 
He  found  that  the  material  represented  twenty  different  species,  of  five 
genera,  and  was  able  to  make  out  some  important  synonymical  facts. 
In  the  distribution  of  certain  species  the  results  were  unexpected.  It 
was  found  that  some  of  the  commoner  forms,  viz,  Culex  consobrinus, 
C.  excitans,  C.  perturbans,  C.  povticatus,  C.  punyaus,  Prowphora  ciliata, 


22  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

Anopheles  punotipennis,  and  A.  quadrimaculata,  occur  all  over  the 
country,  from  New  England  to  Texas,  and  even  to  southern  California. 
In  almost  any  given  locality  in  the  United  States,  therefore,  one  would 
probably  be  able  to  iind  all  of  these  eight  species,  with  perhaps  two  or 
three  additional  ones. 

The  list  which  follows  was  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Coquillett,  and  embodies, 
in  part,  the  results  of  his  studies.  It  must  be  remembered  that,  after 
all,  the  material  was  scanty,  since  no  one  has  taken  the  trouble  to 
thoroughly  collect  mosquitoes.  The  list  represents,  however,  a  distinct 
and  important  advance  on  our  former  knowledge  of  these  annoying 
creatures. 

LIST  OF  THE  MOSQUITOES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
(A)  Species  examined  by  D.  TV.  Coquillett. 

Culex  consobriims  Desv.    3  males,  18  females. 

Synonyms:  Culex punctor  Kirby;  C.  impatiens  Walk. ;  C.  piuguis  Walk. ;  C.  inor- 
natus  Will,  (the  latter  synonymy  based  on  a  study  of  one  of  Williston's  co- 
type  specimens). 
Habitat:  White  Mountains,  N.  H.;  Beverly,  Mass.,  September  28  (Nat.  Mus.); 
Catskill  Mountains,  Greene  County,  N.  Y.,  2,500  feet  (Howard) ;  Illinois,  March 
21,  April  29,  May  6,  October  16  (Nason);  St.  Anthony  Park,  Minn..  April,  May, 
on  snow  (Lugger);  Saskatchewan  River,  British  America ;  South  Dakota  (Nat. 
Mus.);  Lincoln,  Nebr.,  May.  September  (Bruner);  Colorado  (Nat.  Mus.);  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  February  (Coquillett) ;  Argus  Mountains;  Cal.;  April  (Nat.  Mus.) ; 
Santa  F6,  N.  Mex.,  July  (Cockerell). 
Culex  excitans  Walk.     3  males,  2  females. 

Habitat:  New  Bedford,  Mass.  (Johnson);  Lincoln,  Nebr.,  May  (Bruner);  Santa 
¥6,  N.  Mex.,  July  (Cockerell). 
Culex  excrucians  Walk.     3  females. 

Habitat:  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  July  14  (Comstock). 
Culex  fasciatus  Fabr.     4  males,  2  females. 

Synonyms:  Culex  tceniatus  Wied. ;  Culex  mosquito  Desv.  (non  Arribalzaga). 
Habitat:  Georgia,  August  (Coquillett) ;  Natchitoches,  La.,  October  6  (Johnson) ; 
Isle  of  Pines,  W.  I.  (Scutlder) ;  Kingston,  Jamaica,  July  13  (Johnson). 
Culex  impiger  Walk.     14  males,  50  females. 
Synonym:  Culex  implacabilis  Walk. 

Habitat:  White  Mountains,  N.  H. ;  Beverly,  Mass.,  May  24,  June  2  (Nat.  Mus.) ; 
Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  July  9  and  17,  August  28;  Wilmuth,  N.  Y.,  June  10  (Comstock) ; 
Saskatchewan  River,  British  America  (Nat.  Mus.);  Minnesota  (Lugger); 
Loudon  County,  Va.,  Aug.  26  (Pratt) ;  Tyrone,  Ky.,  July  14  (Garmau) ;  Georgia 
(Nat.  Mus.) ;  Mesilla,  N.  Mex.,  (Cockerel!) ;  Isle  of  Pines,  W.  I.  (Scudder) ;  Port- 
land, Jamaica  (Johnson). 
Culex  perturbans  Walk.     8  females. 

Habitat:   Lakeland,  Md.,  August  8  (Pratt);  Virginia,  August  17  (Pergande); 
Tick  Island,  Fla.,  May  12  (Johnson);  Texas  (Nat.  Mus.). 
Culex  posticatus  Wied.     5  females. 
Synonym:  Culex  musicus  Say. 

Habitat:  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  July  17  (Johnson);  Texas  (Nat.  Mus.). 
Culex  pungens  Wied.     25  males,  103  females. 

Habitat:  White  Mountains,  N.  H. ;  Beverly,  Mass.,  September  5;  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  September  16  to  November  5;  Boston,  Mass.;  Baltimore,  Md.,  Novem- 
ber 5  (Nat.  Mus.),  November  26  (Lugger);  Charlton  Heights,  Md.,  December  1 


MOSQUITOES   AND   FLEAS.  23 

(Pratt) ;  District  of  ( lolumbia,  January  30,  Marob  5,  May  6  and  15,  June  28,  July 
11,  August,  October  10,  15,  25,  and  31,  November  4,  8,  13,  16,  and  23,  December 
23  (Pergande) ;  Ithaca,  .\.  ST.,  May  29,  duly  17.  August 28 (Comstock) j  Illinois 

(Nason);  Minnesota  (Lugger);  Lincoln,  Nebr.,  September  20  (Bruner);  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  November  lO(Garman);  New  Orleans,  La.,  December  17    Howard   ; 

San  Antonio.  Tex..  May  5  (Marlatt);  Georgia,  August  (Coquillett)  ;   Portland. 
Jamaica  (Johnson). 
Culex  signifer  Coq.     1  female. 

Habitat:  District  of  Columbia,  June  (Coquillett). 
Culex  stimulans  Walk.     13  males,  54  females. 

Habitat:  White  Mountains,  N.  EL;  Beverly,  Mass.,  June  2,  July  9;  Cambridge, 
Mass..  May;  Jamaica  Plain,  .Mass.,  August  25  (Nat.  Mus.);  Baltimore,  Md. 
(Lugger):  Illinois,  August  1,  September  15,  October  5  (Nason );  Agricultural 
College,  Mich.  (Gillette);  Saskatchewan  River,  British  America  (Nat.  Mus.); 
Lincoln.  Nebr.  i  Bruner);  Colorado  (Nat.  Mus.);  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  June  13,  18,29, 
July  14,  August  26;  Wilmuth,  N.  Y.,  June  10  (Comstock) ;  Georgia  (Nat.  Mus.). 
Culex  tarsalis  Coq.     1  male,  1  females. 

Eabitat:  Argus  Mountains,  Cal.,  April;  Folsom,  Cal.,  July  3  (Nat.  Mus.). 
Culex  triseriata  Say.     3  females. 

Habitat:  White  Mountains,  N.  H.  (Nat.  Mus.);  Delaware  County,  Pa.,  June  12 
(Johnson);  Washington,  1).  ('.,  May  5,  Loudon  County,  Ya.  (Pratt). 
Culex  taeniorhynchus  Wied.     1  male,  32  females. 
(Not  the  Culex  tamiorkynchw  Wied.  of  Arribalzaga.) 

Habitat:  Maine,  August;  Beverly,  Mass.,  June,  September  15  (Nat.  Mus.); 
Avalon,  Anglesea,  and  Atlautic  City,  N.  J.,  July  10  to  29  (Johnson);  Far 
Rockaway,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  30  (Howard);  District  of  Columbia 
(Pergande);  Georgia  (Nat.  Mus.);  St.  Augustine  and  Charlotte  Harbor,  Fla.r 
July;  Portland,  Jamaica  (Johnson). 
Psorophora  ciliata  Fabr.    2  males,  29  females. 

Habitat:    Dorchester,    Mass.    (Nat.    Mus.);   Washington,    D.    C.    (Chittenden); 

Westville,  N.  J.,  July  2  (Johnson);  Illinois  (Nason);  Brooklyn  Bridge,  Ky., 

June  23  (Garman);  Lincoln,  Nebr.,  July,  August  (Bruner);  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

(Coquillett);  San  Diego,  Tex.,  May  15  (Sckwarz);  Florida,  July  (Nat.  Mus.). 

Anopheles  crucians  Wied.     3  females. 

Habitat:  District  of  Columbia,  April  27  (Pergande);  Georgia  (Nat.  Mus.). 
Anopheles  puuctipemiis  Say.     5  males,  13  females. 

(Considered  by  Wiedemann  to  be  the  same  species  as  his  Anopheles  crucians,  but 

the  two  are  certainly  distinct.) 
Synonym:  Culex  hyemalis  Pitch  (wrongly  referred  to  Anopheles  quadrimaculata 

in  the  Osten  Sacken  Catalogue). 
Habitat:  Castletou,  Vt.,  February  1  (temperature  6°  F.)j  Beverly,  Mass.,  Sep- 
tember 19,  October  2;  Cambridge,  Mass.,  June  16,  September  30,  October  20 
(Nat.  Mus.);  Charlton  Heights,  Md..  March  31,  November  17  (Pratt);  District 
of  Columbia.  .Line  6,  October  15,  25,  and  31  (Pergande);  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
October  12  (Johnson);  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  April  17,  August  28  (Comstock):  Illinois, 
October  16  (Nason);  Texas  (Nat.  Mus.);  Mesilla,  N.  Mex.  (Cockerell) ;  Port- 
laud,  Jamaica  (Johnson). 
Anopheles  quadrimaculata  Say.     3  males,  31  females. 

Habitat:  Berlin  Falls.  N.  II.,  Augusl  Nat.  Mus.);  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  January,  July 
31,  November  28  (Comstock);  Lakeland.  Md.,  August  8;  Charlton  Heights, 
Md.,  November  24  (Pratt);  District  of  Columbia.  July.  October  15,  November 
2  and  14  (Pergande  >;  Illinois,  September  10,  <  October  l<»  (Nason  );  St.  Anthony 
Park,  Minn.,  December  11  (Lugger);  Tick  Island,  Fla.,  May  12  (Johnson); 
Texas  (Nat.  Mus.;. 


24  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

Megarhinus  ferox  Wied.     1  male. 

Habitat:  District  of  Colombia,  August  22  (Pergande). 
Megarhinus  rutilus  Coq.     3  males,  5  females. 

Habitat:  North  Carolina;  Georgiaua,  Fla.  (Nat.  Mus.). 
Aedes  sapphirinus   O.  S.     1  female. 

Habitat:  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  (Comstock). 

(B)  Species  recorded  from  the  United  States,  but  not  included  in  the  material  studied. 

Culex  ruhidus  Desvoidy,  Culicides,  etc.     Carolina. 

Culex  testaceus  v.  d.  Wulp,  Tijdschr.  v.  Entom.,  2d  ser.,  II,  128,  Tab.  Ill,  f.  1.     Wis- 
consin. 

Culex  incidens  Thomson,  Eugenie's  Resa,  etc.,  443.     California. 

Culex  territans  Walker,  Dipt.  Saund.,  428.     United  States. 

Psorophora  boscii  Desvoidy,  Culicides,  etc.     Carolina. 

Anopheles  annulimanus  v.  d.  Wulp,  Tijdschr.  v.  Entom.,  2d  ser.,  II,  129,  Tab.  Ill,  f.  2. 
Wisconsin. 

Anopheles  ferruginosus  Wiedemann,  Auss.  Zw.,  I,  12.     New  Orleans  (Wied.);  on  the 
Mississippi  (Say). 
Culex  quinquefasciatus  Say,  Journ.  Ac.  Phil.,   Ill,  10,  2;  Compl.  Wr.,  II,    39. 
(Change  of  name  by  Wied.) 

Anopheles  maculipennis  Meigen  (European  species,  which  also  occurs  in  North  America, 
according  to  Loew,  Sillim.  Journ.,  n.  ser.,  Vol.  XXXVII,  317). 

Anopheles  nigripes  Staeger  (European  species,  which  also  occurs  in  North  America, 
according  to  Loew,  Sillim.  Journ.,  n.  ser.,  Vol.  XXXVII,  317). 

Aedes  fuscus  O.  Sacken,  Western  Diptera,  191.     Cambridge,  Mass. 


THE  CAT  AND  DOG  FLEA. 

(Pulex  serraticeps  Gerv.) 

Examination-  of  many  specimens  of  fleas  sent  to  the  Department  in 
recent  years  shows  that  the  species  which  commonly  overruns  houses 
during  the  damp  summers,  in  our  Eastern  cities  at  least,  is  not,  as  many 
have  supposed,  the  human  flea  {Pulex  irritans),  but  the  common  cos- 
mopolitan flea  of  the  dog  and  the  cat  (Pulex  serraticeps).  Tbere  is  wide- 
spread ignorance  as  to  the  transformations  of  this  insect,  and  even  the 
average  entomologist  is  puzzled  to  know  where  to  consult  good  figures 
of  the  different  stages  and  a  detailed  account  of  the  life  history.  The 
figures  accompanying  this  article  have  been  prepared  to  fill  this  want, 
and  the  following  account  of  the  transformations  has  been  drawn  up 
from  notes  made  during  the  summer. of  1895,  at  the  request  of  the 
writer,  by  Mr.  Pergande,  of  the  division  of  entomology.  The  best  two 
of  the  previously  published  articles  are,  one  by  Laboulbene,  in  the 
Annates  de  la  Societe  Entomologique  de  France,  1872,  pp.  267-273,  PI. 
XIII,  and  the  other  by  W.  J.  Simmons,  read  before  the  Microscopical 
Society  of  Calcutta,  March  5,  1888,  and  printed  in  The  American 
Monthly  Microscopical  Journal  for  December,  1888,  with  no  illustra- 
tions.1 

■Ritzema  bas  written  an  article  on  tbe  natural  bistory  of  tbe  dog  flea,  wbicb, 
however,  could  not  be  consulted  by  the  writer. 


MOSQUITOES   AND    FLEAS. 


25 


Laboulbene  describes  carefully  tlie  pretty,  oval,  waxy  white  or 
opaque,  porcelain-colored,  smooth  egg,  which  readies  0.5  mm.  in 
length.  He  describes  the  external  appearance  of  the  larvae  and  recites 
their  extremely  rapid  movements,  which  are  made  by  means  <>f  the 
bristles  with  which  they  are  furnished,  and  particularly  by  means  of 
the  tubercle  and  the  hair-like  spines  below  the  head.  Be  placed  larvae 
upon  dust,  with  birds'  feathers  mixed  with  dried  blood,  upon  which 
they  developed  perfectly.  Others  were  put  on  the  sweepings  of  a  room, 
and  developed  just  as  well.  Laboulbene  at  first  believed  that  blood 
was  necessary  for  the  nourishment  of  the  larva',  the  reddish-colored 
contents  of  the  digestive  tract  making-  him  think  so;  but  he  found  they 
would  nourish  and  complete  their  metamorphoses  in  sweepings  in  which 
there  was  no  trace  of  blood,  lie  concluded  that  all  that  has  been  said 
on  Pulex  irritans  nourishing  its  young  on  dried  blood  is  very  problem- 


Fig.  5. — Pulex  serraticeps  ;  a,  egg;  b,  larva  in  cocoon ;  c,  pupa;  d,  adult;  e,  mouth-parts  of  same  from 
side;  /,  labium  of  same  from  below:  g,  antenna  of  same — all  enlarged  (original). 

atical.  In  his  opinion  the  larvre  of  the  cat  Ilea  for  the  most  part  live 
upon  the  ground  in  spots  where  cats  stay,  and  that  they  live  in  the 
dust  in  the  cracks  of  the  floor.  The  cocoon  he  described  as  ovoid, 
almost  rounded,  brown  and  granular,  because  it  is  covered  with  dust, 
delicate,  bat  difficult  to  open,  attached  by  one  surface.  It  is  about 
2.5  mm.  by  2.75  mm.  The  only  statement  in  the  article  regarding  the 
length  of  the  different  stages  is  to  the  effect  that  the  pupal  condition 
lasts  from  one  to  two  weeks. 

Mr.  Simmons  found  the  eggs  upon  a  cloth  upon  which  a  dog  had 
been  sleeping,  in  the  midst  of  a  dust  composed  of  fragments  of  cuticle, 
hairs,  fibers,  and  pellets  of  dried  blood,  the  last  being  probably  the  nat- 
ural excreta  of  the  tleas.  In  fifty  hours  most  of  the  eggs  hatched.  The 
larvae  are  described,  and  the  statement  is  made  thai  in  seven  days  they 
began  to  spin  their  cocoons.     They  remained  in  the  cocoons  eight  days. 


2G  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

when  Hie  adults  emerged,  completing  tlieir  transformations  seventeen 
days  alter  the  eggs  were  deposited. 

The  eggs  of  the  ilea  under  consideration  are  deposited  between  the 
hairs  of  t  he  infested  animals,  but  are  not  fastened  to  them,  so  that  when 
the  animal  moves  about  or  lies  down  numbers  of  the  eggs  will  be  dis- 
lodged and  drop  to  the  ground  or  the  floor  or  wherever  the  animal  may 
be  at  the  time.  An  easy  way  to  collect  them,  therefore,  is  to  lay  a  strip 
of  cloth  for  the  animal  to  sleep  upon,  and  afterwards  brush  tlie  cloth 
into  a  receptacle,  in  which  the  egg^  will  be  found  in  numbers.  Some 
difficulty  was  found  in  securing  proper  conditions  of  moisture  to  bring- 
about  successful  rearing,  and  some  detailed  account  of  our  experience 
will  be  of  value  to  persons  who  desire  to  repeat  the  rearing  in  order  to 
secure  material  for  microscopic  study,  and  will  be  at  the  same  time 
suggestive  as  bearing  on  the  conditions  under  which  the  insect  will 
multiply  in  house's. 

On  June  27  a  number  of  eggs  were  collected  and  placed  in  two  glass 
vessels,  one  large  and  one  small,  each  containing  a  layer  of  sand  at  the 
bottom,  next  a  layer  of  sawdust,  and  on  top  of  this  a  layer  of  rich  soil. 
The  eggs  were  placed  between  two  layers  of  blotting  paper  on  top  of 
the  soil.  On  June  29  fourteen  of  the  eggs  had  hatched  in  the  small 
vessel,  and  the  larvae  had  crawled  at  once  down  into  the  sawdust. 

On  July  1  some  of  the  eggs  were  found  to  have  hatched  in  the  large 
vessel,  and  the  alimentary  canal  of  the  larvae  Avas  already  brownish, 
indicating  that  they  had  been  feeding  to  some  extent  and  presumably 
upon  the  particles  of  dried  blood  collected  with  the  eggs  and  placed 
with  them  between  the  layers  of  blotting  paper.  By  July  11  all  of  these 
larvae  in  both  vessels  had  died,  apparently,  without  having  cast  a  skin. 
They  were  very  active  during  most  of  this  period,  crawling  rapidly 
about  when  disturbed.  Some  were  noticed  to  feed  upon  particles  of 
peat  which  was  placed  with  them.  From  some  of  these  individuals 
fig.  6  was  made.  On  the  second  antennal  joint  there  was  apparent  a 
sensorial  spot,  and  on  or  near  the  base  of  the  antennae  were  two  small, 
slender,  fleshy  tubercles  and  a  few  granulations  on  each  side,  some  dis- 
tance behind  the  antennae.  At  the  base  of  the  head  above  occurred  a 
small,  apparently  well  differentiated  sclerite,  as  indicated  in  fig.  6,  />,  the 
purpose  of  which  we  can  not  surmise.  Immediately  behind  it,  on  the 
anterior  border  of  the  first  thoracic  segment,  is  apparently  a  delicate 
sculpturing,  indicating  a  thickening  of  the  integument  at  this  point. 
The  posterior  border  of  this  segment  is  a  somewhat  similar,  faintly 
indicated  band.  The  first  nine  segments  bear  each  four  dorsal  bristles 
and,  on  each  side,  one  ventrolateral  bristle,  near  the  posterior  margin. 
The  two  following  segments  bear  each  six  dorsal  bristles  and  one  ventro- 
lateral bristle,  and  the  penultimate  segment  eight  dorsal  and  one  ven- 
tral bristle.  These  bristles  become  gradually  longer  toward  the  end  of 
the  body.  The  last  segment  is  without  long  bristles,  although  there  is 
a  semicircular  transverse  row  of  numerous  fine  hairs  and  a  small  patch 


MOSQUITOES    AND    FLEAS. 


27 


of  still  finer  hairs  on  each  of  the  anal  lobes  near  the  base  of  the  ;mal 
prolegs,  as  shown  in  fig.  <>,  c. 

On  July  6  another  lot  of  eggs  was  placed  in  each  of  the  two  different 
vessels.  One  lot  was  kepi  moist  and  the  other  dry,  and  both  lots  were 
provided  with  nothing  but  the  particles  of  dried  blood  and  a  few 
crumbs  of  dry  bread.  On  July  8  it  was  discovered  that  all  of  the  eggs 
had  hatched.  Both  vessels  had  been  kept  closed  under  a  glass  cover. 
Those  between  the  layers  of  damp  blotting  paper  had  apparently  not 
fed.  Some  were  dead,  having  crawled  up  the  sides  of  the  vessel. 
Those  in  the  dry  receptable  were  very  lively  and  had  fed  abundantly, 
so  that  the  whole  alimentary  canal,  from  oue  end  to  the  other,  was 
dark  brown. 


Fig.  6.— I'vlcz  aerraticepa:  a.  larva;  b,  head;  c,  anal  end  of  same— greatly  enlarged  (original). 

On  July  9  the  larvae  in  the  dry  receptacle  had  cast  the  first  skin, 
but  upon  careful  examination  were  seen  to  agree  perfectly  with  those 
of  the  first  >tage,  except  that  they  were  larger.  No  trace  of  eyes  could 
be  found  in  either  stage.  The  mandibles  apparently  bore  four  blunt 
teeth.  At  this  date  the  larva*  kept  in  the  moist  receptacle  had  not 
cast  a  skin,  and  appeared  almost  colorless,  having  fed  very  little.  In 
both  vessels,  however,  all  the  larvae  were  very  active  aud  ran  about 
very  briskly.  Their  movements  when  crawling  recall  those  of  many 
Tineid  larva1.  Ten  individuals  of  the  second  stage  were  removed  to 
another  vessel  to  see  whether  they  would  cast  a  second  skin. 

On  July  10  all  of  the  larvae  in  the  original  moist  vessel  died.  Those 
in  the  dry  vessel,  which  had  been  fed  with  bread  crumbs,  were  still 
growing  nicely,  and  were  very  active.  By  July  15  all  the  larva'  which 
had  been  transferred,  to  watch  for  further  molts,  had  died  without 


28  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

molting.  They  either  stuck  to  the  crumbs,  which  were  rather  greasy, 
or  to  the  sides  of  the  glass,  which  had  also  become  somewhat  greasy. 
On  the  same  date  the  larvae  in  the  dry  vessel,  from  which  these  ten 
had  been  removed,  commenced  to  spin  up.  Many  were  restlessly  run- 
ning about  in  search  of  suitable  places  for  spinning,  and  some  had  even 
reached  the  top  of  the  blotting  paper.  A  thin  layer  of  gray  cotton 
was  placed  between  the  two  blotting  papers  to  give  them  suitable 
spinning  places.  The  eggs  hatched  in  two  days,  having  been  kept  dry 
all  the  time.  The  first  skin  was  cast  two  days  after  hatching,  and  the 
beginning  of  spinning  occurred  eight  days  after  hatching. 

By  July  19  no  more  specimens  had  spun  up  and  many  had  died.  The 
receptacle  seemed  to  be  too  dry  and  too  hot,  and  the  blotting  paper  was 
somewhat  moistened.  But  one  pupa  was  found,  which  was  that  of  a 
larva  which  began  to  spin  July  15.  July  21  no  others  had  spun  up, 
although  they  were  still  very  lively.  The  pupa  had  become  brownish. 
July  22  the  adult  flea  issued  over  night  and  escaped  through  the  cov- 
ering. From  that  time  until  July  29  no  more  spun  cocoons,  and  many 
of  them  died.  On  July  30  one  of  the  survivors  commenced  to  spin, 
twenty- four  days  after  hatching.  The  cocoon  is  delicate,  white  in 
color,  and  is  very  well  shown  at  fig.  5. 

On  August  2  this  larva,  which  commenced  to  spin  July  21,  changed 
to  pupa.  On  August  6  it  was  still  white  in  color,  becoming  somewhat 
yellowish  on  the  7th  and  quite  brown  on  the  8th.  On  the  9th  the  adult 
flea  was  found  to  have  issued  overnight.  The  pupa  state,  therefore, 
lasted  about  eight  days,  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  pupa  remains 
white  until  shortly  before  the  emergence  of  the  adult.  It  was  supposed 
that  the  pupa  stage  in  this  instance  was  longer  than  usual,  on  account 
of  the  fact  that  the  larval  stage  was  so  very  much  longer  than  in  the 
first  instance. 

On  July  11  another  series  of  experiments  was  started,  in  order  to 
gauge  the  variation  in  the  duration  of  the  stages  and  settle  the  ques- 
tion of  the  number  of  larval  molts.  Eggs  collected  on  this  date 
hatched  July  13.  On  July  16,  of  fifteen  larvae  eleven  had  cast  the  first 
skin.  On  July  18  five  specimens  cast  the  second  skin.  July  19  the 
weather  was  extremely  warm  and  a  number  of  the  larvae  died.  July  20 
the  heat  continued,  and  more  died.  On  July  23  seven  larvae  which  had 
cast  the  first  skin  remained;  one  of  them  had  begun  to  spin  up.  There 
were  on  the  morning  of  this  date  three  cast  skins  in  the  receptacle,  so 
that  there  are  apparently  three  molts.  In  this  final  state  the  bristles 
have  become  longer  and  the  mandibles  have  two  teeth  at  the  apex. 
The  remaining  four  were  carried  on  until  August  8,  when  the  last  one 
died,  none  of  them  having  succeeded  in  casting  a  third  skin.  Of  the 
entire  lot,  but  one  was  reared  to  the  pupa  state,  aud  this  pupa  was 
preserved  in  alcohol  for  drawing.  The  record  of  this  advanced  speci- 
men shows  three  molts,  and  that  it  began  to  spin  eight  days  after 
hatching.     The  average  of  the  others  shows  that  the  eggs  hatch  in 


MOSQUITOES    AND    FLEAS.  29 

from  two  to  four  days  and  that  some  of  the  larvae  cast  their  ftrsl  skin 
three  to  four  days  later,  and  a  second  skin  two  to  six  days  later. 

On  July  15  another  series  was  begun.  The  eggs  collected  on  this 
date  began  to  hatch  on  the  17th  and  all  had  batched  "by  the  morning 
of  the  18th.     July  21  some  of  them  had  cast  the  first  skin. 

August  1  the  first  one  spun  up;  August  3,  two  more:  August  6,  two 
more.  At  this  date  the  first  one  which  constructed  its  cocoon  turned 
brown.  August  7  one  full-grown  larva  transformed  to  papa  without 
spinning  a  cocoon.  August  12  the  first  adult  emerged.  A  summary 
for  this  lot  shows  that  the  eggs  hatch  in  from  two  to  four  days  and 
that  the  larvae  cast  the  first  skin  from  five  to  seven  days  later.  Some 
spun  up  sixteen  to  twenty  days  after  hatching,  and  the  imago  appeared 
six  days  later. 

Observation  of  these  last  two  lots  shows  that  the  larva?  are  very  apt 
to  die  if  kept  too  dry  or  too  moist.     They  also  need  plenty  of  air. 

July  20  another  series  was  begun.  Eggs  collected  on  this  date 
hatched  the  following  day.  July  24  the  first  skin  was  cast;  July  20,  in 
one  case  a  second  skin  was  cast.  July  27  three  more  cast  a  second 
skin,  and  on  this  date  one  individual  spun  its  cocoon.  July  29  three 
more  began  to  spin  ;  on  July  30  many  more.  On  July  30  the  first  one 
that  began  to  spin  was  found  to  have  changed  to  papa.  August  2 
many  cocoons  were  found.  Some  of  the  larva1,  disturbed  while  spin- 
ning, left  the  incomplete  cocoon  and  transformed  to  papa  outside  of  it. 
Most  of  the  advanced  specimens  were  placed  in  alcohol,  and  it  was  not 
until  August  14  that  an  adult  was  allowed  to  emerge. 

This  series  of  observations  showed  that  the  eggs  hatched  about  one 
day  after  being  placed  in  the  vessels.  The  larva?  cast  their  first  skin 
in  from  three  to  seven  days,  and  their  second  skin  in  from  three  to  four 
days.  They  commenced  spinning  in  from  seven  to  fourteen  days  after 
hatching,  and  the  imago  appeared  five  days  later. 

From  these  observations  it  appears  that  in  summer  at  Washington 
many  specimens  will  undergo  their  transformations  quite  as  rapidly  as 
Mr.  Simmons  found  to  be  the  case  at  Calcutta,  and  that  an  entire  gen- 
eration may  develop  in  little  more  than  a  fortnight;  also  that  an  excess 
of  moisture  is  prejudicial  to  the  successful  development  of  the  insect 
and  that  in  the  same  way  the  breeding  place  must  not  be  too  dry.  The 
little  particles  of  blood  found  among  the  eggs  on  the  cloth  upon 
which  the  infested  animal  has  slept  are  probably  the  excrement  of  the 
adult  fleas.  This  substance  in  itself,  together  with  what  vegetable 
dust  is  found  in  the  places  whe*re  these  larvae  rear  themselves,  suffices 
for  the  larval  food. 

REMEDIES. 
• 

Flea  larva'  will  not  develop  successfully  in  situations  where  they  are 

likely  to  be  disturbed.  That  they  will  develop  in  thednsl  in  the  cracks 
in  floors  which  are  not  frequently  swept  has  been  observed  by  the 
writer.     The  overrunning  of  houses  in  Summer  during  the  temporary 


30  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

absence  of  the  occupants  is  uDdoubtedly  due  to  the  development  of 
a  brood  of  fleas  in  the  dust  in  the  cracks  of  the  floor  from  eggs  which 
have  been  dropped  by  some  pet  dog  or  cat.  This  overrunning  is 
more  liable  to  occur  in  moist  than  in  excessively  dry  summer  weather, 
and  it  is  more  likely  to  occur  during  the  absence  of  the  occupants  of 
fehe  house,  for  the  reason  that  the  floors  do  not,  under  such  circum 
stances,  receive  their  customary  sweeping.  The  use  of  carpets  or 
straw  mattings,  in  our  opinion,  favors  their  development  under  the  cir- 
cumstances above  mentioned.  The  young  larvae  are  so  slender  and  so 
active  that  they  readily  penetrate  the  interstices  of  both  sorts  of  cover- 
ings and  find  an  abiding  place  in  some  crack  where  they  are  not  likely 
to  be  disturbed. 

That  it  is  not  difficult  to  destroy  this  flea  in  its  early  stages  is  shown 
by  the  difficulty  we  have  had  in  rearing  it ;  but  to  destroy  the  adult  fleas 
is  another  matter.  Their  extreme  activity  and  great  hardiness  render 
any  but  the  most  strenuous  measures  unsuccessful.  In  such  cases  we 
have  tried  a  number  of  the  ordinarily  recommended  remedies  in  vain. 
Even  the  persistent  use  of  California  buhach  and  other  pyrethrum 
powders,  and,  what  seems  still  stranger,  a  free  sprinkling  of  floor  mat- 
ting with  benzine,  were  ineffectual  in  one  particular  case  of  extreme 
infestation.  In  fact,  it  was  not  until  all  the  floor  mattings  had  been 
taken  up  and  the  floor  washed  down  with  hot  soapsuds  that  the  flea 
pest  abated.  In  another  case,  however,  the  writer  found  that  a  single 
application  of  California  buhach,  freely  applied,  was  perfectly  success- 
ful; and  in  a  third  case  a  single  thorough  application  of  benzine  also 
resulted  in  perfect  success.  The  pyrethrum  application  was  made  in  a 
Brooklyn  (N.  Y.)  house,  and  the  benzine  application  in  a  Washington 
residence.  The  frequently  recommended  newspaper  remedy  of  placing 
a  piece  of  raw  meat  in  the  center  of  a  piece  of  sticky  flypaper  has  been 
thoroughly  tried  by  the  writer,  without  the  slightest  success.  As  a 
palliative  measure,  however,  the  plan  adopted  by  Professor  Gage  in 
the  McGraw  Building  of  Cornell  University,  and  described  at  length 
on  page  422  of  Vol.  VII,  Insect  Life,  may  be  worth  trying.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  Professor  Gage  tied  sheets  of  sticky  fly  paper,  with 
the  sticky  side  out,  around  the  legs  of  the  janitor  of  the  building,  who 
then  for  several  hours  walked  up  and  down  the  floor  of  the  infested 
room,  with  the  result  that  all  or  nearly  all  of  the  fleas  jumped  on  his 
ankles,  as  they  will  always  do,  and  were  caught  by  the  fly  paper. 

In  his  recent  summary  of  the  described  fleas  (Canadian  Entomolo- 
gist, August,  1895,  pp.  221-222)  Mr.  C.  F.  Baker  shows  that  there  are 
forty-seven  valid  species,  which  attack  all  sorts  of  warm-blooded 
animals.  The  species  which  we  have  just  considered  [Pulex  serrdti- 
ceps  Gervais)  is,  as  he  states,  the  common  cat  and  dog  flea,  well  known 
over  all  parts  of  the  world.  Mr.  Baker  further  states  that,  " besides 
the  various  wild  cats  and  dogs,  it  has  been  reported  from  Herpestes 
ichneumon  (Pharaoh's    rat),   Fcetorius   putorius   (common    polecat   of 


MOSQUITOES   AND    FLEAS.  31 

Europe),  Hyama  striata  (striped  hyena),  Lepus  timid  us  (common  hare), 
and  Procyon  lotor  (raccoon).  It  is  also  said  to  occasionally  sip  human 
blood  [sic!].  I  have  specimens  from  various  parts  of  North  America, 
and  also  from  Europe."  .Many  unfortunate  inhabitants  of  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  Washington,  and  Baltimore  daring  the  past  few  Rummers 
will  be  able  to  verify  Mr.  Baker's  statement  that  the  species  occa- 
sionally sips  human  blood!  This  species  maybe  distinguished  at  a 
glance  from  the  so-called  human  flea  (Pulex  i rri tans)  by  the  fact  that 
the  latter  species  does  not  possess  the  strong  recurved  spines  on  the 
margin  of  the  head,  which  show  so  distinctly  in  fig.  5. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  BEDBUG  AND  CONE-NOSE. 

By  C.  L.  Maklatt. 
THE  BEDBUG. 

(Cimex  lectularius  Linn.) 

This  disgusting  human  parasite,  the  very  discussion  of  which  is 
tabooed  in  polite  society,  is  practically  limited  to  houses  of  the  meaner 
sort,  or  where  the  owners  are  indifferent  or  careless,  or  to  hostelries 
not  always  of  the  cheaper  kind.  The  careful  housekeeper  would  feel  it 
a  signal  disgrace  to  have  her  chambers  invaded  by  this  insect,  and,  in 
point  of  fact,  where  ordinary  care  and  vigilance  are  maintained  the 
danger  in  this  direction  is  very  slight.  The  presence  of  this  insect, 
however,  is  not  necessarily  an  indication  of  neglect  or  carelessness,  for, 


Fig.  7 .—Cimex  lectularius :  a,  adult  female,  gorged  with  blood;  b,  same,  from  below;  c,  rudimentary 
wing-pad;  d,  mouth-parts— all  enlarged  (original). 

little  as  the  idea  may  be  relished,  it  may  often  gain  access  in  spite  of 
the  best  of  care  and  the  adoption  of  all  reasonable  precautions.  It  is 
very  apt  to  get  into  the  trunks  and  satchels  of  travelers,  and  may  thus 
be  introduced  into  homes.  Unfortunately,  also,  it  is  quite  capable  of 
migrating  from  one  house  to  another,  and  will  often  continue  to  come 
from  an  adjoining  house,  sometimes  for  a  period  of  several  months, 
gaining  entrance  daily.  Such  migration  is  especially  apt  to  take  place 
it'  the  human  inhabitants  of  an  infested  house  leave  it.  With  the 
32 


THE    BEDBUG    AND    CONE-NOSE. 


33 


failure  of  their  usual  source  of  food,  the  migratory  instinct  is  devel- 
oped, and  escaping  through  windows,  they  pass  along  walls,  water  pipes, 
or  gutters,  and  thus  gain  entrance  into  adjoining  houses.  It  is  expe- 
dient, therefore,  to  consider  this  insect,  unsavory  as  the  subject  may 
be,  since,  as  shown,  it  may  be  anyone's  misfortune  to  have  his  premises 
temporarily  invaded. 

As  with  nearly  all  the  insects  associated  with  man,  tin'  bedbug  has 
had  the  habits  now  characteristic  of  it  as  far  back  as  the  records  inn. 
It  was  undoubtedly  of  common  occurrence  in  the  dwellings  of  the 
ancient  peoples  of  Asia.  The  Romans  were  well  acquainted  with  it,  giv- 
ing it  the  nameCimex.  It  was  supposed  by  Pliny  (and  this  was  doubt- 
less the  common  belief  among  the  Romans)  to  have  medicinal  properties, 
and  it  was  recommended,  among  other  things,  as  a  specific  for  the  bites 
of  serpeuts.  It  is  said  to  have  been  first  introduced  into  England  in 
1503,  but  the  references  to  it  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  it  very 
probable  that  it  had  been  there  long  previously.     Two  hundred  and  fifty 


Oimea  lectularius.  Egg  ami  newly  hatched  larva  of  bedbug:  a,  larva  (torn  below;  i>,  larva 
from  above;  c,  claw;  (I.  egg;  e,  hair  or  spine  of  larva — greatly  enlarged ;  natural  size  of  larva  and 
ogg  indicated  by  hair  lines  (original). 

years  later  it  was  reported  to  be  very  abundant  in  the  seaport  towns, 
but  was  scarcely  known  inland.  It  lias  been  inferred  that  the  following 
reference  from  the  old  English  Bible  of  1551  is  to  this  insect:  "Thou 
shalt  not  nede  to  be  a  triad  for  eny  Bugges  by  night"  (Psalm  XT  I,  5). 

One  of  the  old  English  names  was  "wall-louse."  It  was  afterwards 
very  well  known  as  the  "chinch,"  which  continued  to  be  the  common 
appellation  for  it  until  within  a  century  or  two.  and  is  still  usn\  in  parts 
of  this  country.  The  origin  of  the  name  "bedbug"  is  not  known,  but 
it  is  such  a  descriptive  one  that  it  would  seem  to  have  been  very  natu- 
rally suggested.  Almost  everywhere  there  are  local  names  for  this 
parasite,  as,  for  illustration,  around  Boston  they  are  called  "chintzes" 
and  '•chinches."  and  from  Baltimore  comes  the  name  "mahogany  flat," 
while  in  New  York  they  are  styled  "red  coats." 

The  bedbug  has  accompanied  man  wherever  he  has  gone.  Vessels 
are  almost  sure  to  be  infested  with  it.  It  is  not  especially  limited  hy 
cold,  and  is  known  to  occur  well  north.  It  probably  came  to  this 
-so.-)— Xo.  4 .'3 


34  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

country  with  the  earliest  colonists,  at  least  Kalm,  writing  in  1748-49, 
stated  t lmt  it  was  plentiful  in  the  English  colonies  and  in  Canada, 
though  unknown  among  the  Indians. 

The  bedbug-  belongs  to  the  order  Hemiptera,  which  includes  the  true 
bugs  or  piercing  insects,  characterized  by  possessing  a  piercing  autl 
sucking  beak.  The  bedbug  is  to  man  what  the  chinch  bug  is  to  grains 
or  the  squash  bug  to  cucurbs.  Like  nearly  all  the  insects  parasitic  on 
animals,  however,  it  is  degraded  structurally,  its  parasitic  nature  and 
the  slight  necessity  for  extensive  locomotion  having  resulted,  after 
many  ages  doubtless,  in  the  loss  of  wings  and  the  assumption  of  a 
comparatively  simple  structure.  The  wings  are  represented  by  the 
merest  rudiments,  barely  recognizable  pads,  and  it  lacks  the  simple 
eyes  or  ocelli  of  most  other  true  bugs.  In  form  it  is  much  flattened, 
obovate,  and  in  color  is  rust  red,  with  the  abdomen  more  or  less  tinged 
with  black.  The  absence  of  wings  is  a  most  fortunate  circumstance, 
since  otherwise  the  re  would  be  no  safety  from  it  even  for  the  most 
careful  and  thorough  of  housekeepers.  Some  slight  variation  in  length 
of  wing  pads  has  been  observed,  but  none  with  wings  showing  any 
considerable  development  have  ever  been  found. 

A  closely  allied  species  is  a  parasitic  messmate  in  the  nests  of  the 
common  barn  or  eaves  sw^allow  in  this  country,  and  it  often  happens  that 
the  nests  of  these  birds  are  fairly  alive  with  these  vermin.  The  latter 
not  infrequently  gain  access  to  houses,  and  cause  the  housekeeper  con- 
siderable momentary  alarm.  At  least  three  species  occur  also  in  Eng- 
land, all  very  closely  resembling  the  bedbug.  One  of  these  is  found  in 
pigeon  cotes,  another  in  the  nests  of  the  English  martin,  and  a  third  in 
places  frequented  by  bats.  What  seems  to  be  the  true  bedbug,  or  at 
least  a  mere  variety,  also  occurs  occasionally  in  poultry  houses.1 

The  most  characteristic  feature  of  the  insect  is  the  very  distinct  and 
disagreeable  odor  which  it  exhales,  an  odor  well  known  to  all  who  have 
been  familiar  with  it  as  the  " buggy  "  odor.  This  odor  is  by  no  means 
limited  to  the  bedbug,  but  is  characteristic  of  most  plant  bugs  also. 
The  common  chinch  bug  affecting  small  grains  and  the  squash  bugs  all 
possess  this  odor,  and  it  is  quite  as  pungent  with  these  plant-feeding 
forms  as  with  the  human  parasite.  The  possession  of  this  odor,  dis- 
agreeable as  it  is,  is,  after  all,  a  most  fortunate  circumstance,  as  it  is  of 
considerable  assistance  in  detecting  the  presence  of  these  vermin.  The 
odor  comes  from  glands,  situated  in  various  parts  of  the  body,  which 
secrete  a  clear,  oily,  volatile  liquid.  The  possession  of  this  odor  is  cer- 
tainly, with  the  plant-feeding  forms,  a  means  of  protection  against 
insectivorous  birds,  rendering  these  insects  obnoxious  or  distasteful  to 
their  feathered  enemies.  With  the  bedbug  it  is  probably  an  illustration 
of  a  very  common  phenomenon  among  animals,  the  persistence  of  a 
characteristic  which  is  no  longer  of  any  especial  value  to  the  possessor 
of  it.     The  natural  enemies  of  true  bugs,  against  which  this  odor  serves 


1  Insect  Life,  Vol.  VI,  p.  166,  Osborn. 


THE  BEDBUG  AND  CONE-NOSE. 


35 


as  a  means  of  protection,  in  the  conditions  under  which  the  bedbng 

lives,  are  kept  away  from'  it,  and  the  roach,  which  will  be  shown  later 
to  feed  on  bedbugs,  is  evidently  not  deterred  by  the  odor,  while  t  he  com- 
mon house  ant,  which  will  also  attack  the  bedbug,  seems  not  to  find  this 
odor  disagreeable. 

The  bedbug  is  thoroughly  nocturnal  in  habit  and  displays  a  certain 
degree  of  wariness  and  caution,  or  intelligence,  in  its  efforts  at  con- 
cealment during  the  day.  It  thrives  particularly  in  filthy  apartments 
and  in  old  houses  which  are  full  of  cracks  and  crevices  in  which  it  can 
conceal  itself  beyond  easy  reach.  It  usually  leaves  the  bed  at  the 
approach  of  daylight  to  go  into  concealment  either  in  cracks  in  the 
bedstead,  if  it  be  one  of  the  old  wooden  variety,  or  behind  wainscoting, 
or  under  loose  wall  paper,  where  it  manifests  its  gregarious  habit  by  col- 
lecting in  masses  together.  The  old-fashioned  heavy  wooden  bedsteads 
are  especially  favorable  for  the  concealment  and  multiplication  of  this 


Fig.  9.—OimexlectulaTius:  a,  lirst  larval  skin  shed  at  liisi  moult ;  b.  second  larval  stage  taken  imme- 
diately after  emerging  from  ".  <•,  same  after  Hist  meal,  distended  with  blood  (originiB). 

insect,  and  the  general  use  in  later  years  of  iron  and  brass  bedsteads 
has  very  greatly  facilitated  its  eradication.  They  are  not  apt  to  lie 
xovy  active  in  winter,  especially  in  cold  rooms,  and  ordinarily  hibernate 
in  their  places  of  concealment. 

The  bedbug,  though  normally  feeding  on  human  blood,  seems  to  be 
able  to  subsist  for  a  time  at  least  on  much  simpler  food,  and  in  fact  the 
evidence  is  pretty  conclusive  that  it  is  able  to  get  more  or  less  suste- 
nance from  tin'  juices  of  moistened  wood,  or  the  moisture  in  the  accu- 
mulations of  dust,  etc.,  in  crevices  in  flooring.  No  other  explanation 
would  seem  to  account  for  the  fact  that  houses  long  unoccupied  are 
found,  on  being  reinhabitated,  to  be  thoroughly  stocked  with  bedbugs. 

There  is  a  very  prevalent  belief  among  the  old  settlers  in  the  West 
that  this  insect  normally  lives  on  dead  or  diseased  Cottonwood  logs, 
and  is  almost  certain  to  be  abundant  in  log  bouses  of  this  wood.  This 
belief  was  recently  voiced  by  Capt.  S.  M.  Swigert,  LT.S.  A.,  who  reports 

that  it  often  occurs  in  numbers  under  the  bark  of  dead  trees  of  cotton- 


,')6  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

wood  (Populvs  monilifera),  especially  along  the  Big  and  Little  Horn 
rivers  in  Montana. 

The  origin  of  this  misconception — for  such  it  is  — so  far  as  the  out-of- 
door  occurrence  is  concerned,  is  probably,  as  pointed  out  by  Professor 
Riley,  from  a  con  fusion  of  the  bedbug  with  the  immature  stages  of  an 
entirely  distinct  insect  (Aradtts  sp.)  which  somewhat  resembles  the 
former  and  often  occurs  under  cottonwood  bark.  In  houses,  green  or 
moist  cottonwood  logs  or  lumber  may  actually  furnish  sustenance  in 
the  absence  of  human  food.  The  bedbug  is,  however,  known  to  be 
able  to  survive  for  long  periods  without  food,  specimens  having  been 
kept  for  a  year  in  a  sealed  vial,  with  absolutely  no  means  of  sustenance 
whatever,  and  in  unoccupied  houses  it  can  undoubtedly  undergo  fasts 
of  extreme  length.  Individuals  obtained  from  eggs  have  been  kept 
in  small  sealed  vials  in  this  office  for  several  months,  remaining  active 
and  sprightly  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  had  never  taken  any  nour- 
ishment whatever. 

Extraordinary  stories  are  current  of  the  remarkable  intelligence  of 
this  insect  in  circumventing  various  efforts  to  prevent  its  gaining  access 
to  beds.  Most  of  these  are  undoubtedly  exaggerations,  but  the  inher- 
ited experience  of  many  centuries  of  companionship  with  man,  during 
which  the  bedbug  has  always  found  its  host  an  active  enemy,  has 
resulted  in  a  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the  human  animal  and  a  facil- 
ity of  concealment,  particularly  as  evidenced  by  its  abandoning  beds 
and  going  often  to  distant  quarters  for  protection  and  hiding  during 
daylight,  which  indicate  considerable  apparent  intelligence. 

The  bite  of  the  bedbug  is  decidedly  poisonous  to  some  individuals, 
resulting  in  a  slight  swelling  and  disagreeable  inflammation.  To  such 
persons  the  presence  of  bedbugs  is  sufficient  to  cause  the  greatest 
uneasiness,  if  not  to  put  sleep  and  rest  entirely  out  of  the  question. 
With  others,  however,  who  are  less  sensitive,  the  presence  of  the  bugs 
may  not  be  recognized  at  all,  and,  except  for  the  occasional  staining  of 
the  linen  by  a  crushed  individual,  their  presence  might  be  entirely 
overlooked.  The  inflammation  experienced  by  sensitive  persons  seems 
to  result  merely  from  the  puncture  of  the  skin  by  the  sharp  piercing 
seta1,  which  constitute  the  puncturing  element  of  the  mouth  parts,  as 
there  seems  to  be  no  secretion  of  poison  other  than  the  natural  fluids 
of  the  mouth. 

The  biting  organ  of  the  bedbug  is  exactly  like  that  of  other  hemip- 
terous  insects.  It  consists  of  a  rather  heavy,  fleshy  under  lip  (the  only 
part  ordinarily  seen  in  examining  the  insect),  within  which  lie  four 
thread-like  hard  filaments  or  setae  which  glide  over  each  other  with 
an  alternating  motion  and  pierce  the  flesh.  The  blood  is  drawn  up 
through  the  beak,  which  is  closely  applied  to  the  point  of  puncture, 
and  the  alternating  motion  of  these  seta1,  in  the  flesh  causes  the  blood 
to  How  more  freely.  The  details  of  the  structure  of  the  beak  are  shown 
in  the  accompanying  sketch  (fig.  7,  d).     In  common  with  other  insects 


THE  BEDBUG  AND  CONE-NOSE.  37 

which  attack  men.  it  is  entirely  possible  for  these  pests  to  be  transmit- 
ters of  contagious  diseases. 

Like  its  allies,  the  bedbug  undergoes  an  incomplete  metamorphosis, 
the  young  being  very  similar  to  their  parents  in  appearance,  structure, 
and  in  habit.  The  eggs  are  while  oval  objects,  having  a  little  project- 
ing rim  around  oik-  edge,  and  are  laid  in  batches  of  from  one-half  dozen 
to  fiftyin  cracks  and  crevices  where  the  bugs  go  for  concealment.  The 
eggs  hatch  in  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  the  young  escape  by  pushing 
the  lid  within  the  projecting  rim  from  the  shell.  At  first  they  are  yel- 
lowish white,  nearly  transparent,  the  brown  color  of  the  more  mature 
insect  increasing  with  the  later  molts.  During  the  course  of  develop- 
ment the  skin  is  shed  five  times,  and  with  the  last  molt  the  minute 
wing  pads  characteristic  of  the  adult  insect  make  their  appearance. 
A  period  of  about  eleven  weeks  has  been  supposed  to  be  necessary 
for  the  complete  maturity  of  this  insect,  but  we  have  found  this  period 
subject  to  great  variation,  depending  on  warmth  and  food  supply. 
Breeding  experiments  conducted  at  this  office  indicate,  under  most 
favorable  conditions,  a  period  averaging  eight  days  between  moltings 
and  between  the  laying  of  the  eggs  and  their  hatching,  giving  about 
seven  weeks  as  the  period  from  egg  to  adult  insect.  Some  individuals 
under  the  same  conditions  will,  however,  remain  two  to  three  weeks 
between  moltings,  and  without  food  as  already  shown  they  may 
remain  unchanged  for  an  indefinite  time.  Ordinarily  but  one  meal  is 
taken  between  molts,  so  that  each  bedbug  must  puncture  its  host 
five  times  before  becoming  mature  and  at  least  once  afterwards  before 
it  again  develops  eggs.  They  are  said  to  lay  several  batches  of  eggs 
during  the  season,  and  are  extremely  prolific,  as  occasionally  realized 
by  the  housekeeper,  to  her  chagrin  and  embarrassment. 

REMEDIES. 

The  bedbug,  on  account  of  its  habits  of  concealment,  is  usually 
beyond  the  reach  of  powders,  and  the  ordinary  insect  powders,  such 
as  pyrethrum,  are  of  practically  no  avail  against  it.  If  iron  or  brass 
bedsteads  are  used  the  eradication  of  the  insect  is  comparatively  easy. 
With  large  wooden  bedsteads,  furnishing  many  cracks  and  crevices 
into  which  the  bugs  can  force  their  Hat,  thin  bodies,  their  extermina- 
tion becomes  a  matter  of  considerable  difficulty.  The  most  practical 
way  to  effect  this  end  is  by  very  liberal  applications  of  benzine  or 
kerosene  or  any  other  of  the  petroleum  oils.  These  must  be  introduced 
into  all  crevices  with  small  brushes  or  feathers,  or  by  injecting  with 
small  syringes.  Corrosive  sublimate  is  also  of  value,  and  oil  of  tur- 
pentine may  be  used  in  the  same  way.  The  liberal  use  of  hot  water 
wherever  it  may  be  employed  without  danger  to  furniture,  etc.,  is  also 
an  effectual  method  of  destroying  both  eggs  and  active  bugs.  Various 
bedbug  remedies  and  mixtures  are  for  sale,  most  of  them  containing 
one  or  the  other  of  the  ingredients  mentioned,  and  they  are  frequently 


38  PRINCIPAL   HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

of  value,  The  great  desideratum,  however,  in  a  case  of  this  kind,  is  a 
daily  inspection  of  beds  and  bedding  and  of  all  crevices  and  locations 
about  the  premises  where  these  vermin  may  have  gone  for  conceal- 
ment. A  vigorous  campaign  should,  in  the  course  of  a  week  or  so  at 
the  outside,  result  in  the  extermination  of  tins  very  obnoxious  and 
embarrassing  pest.  In  the  ease  of  rooms  containing  books  or  where 
l;(|iiid  applications  are  inadvisable,  a  thorough  fumigation  with  brim- 
stone is,  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Lintner,  New  York  State  ento- 
mologist, an  effective  means  of  destruction.     He  says: 

Place  in  the  center  of  the  room  a  dish  containing  about  4  ounces  of  brimstone, 
within  a  larger  vessel,  so  that  the  possible  oversowing  of  the  burning  mass  may  not 
injure- the  carpet  or  set  lire  to  the  floor.  After  removing  from  the  room  all  such 
metallic  surfaces  as  might  bo  affected  by  the  fumes,  close  every  aperture,  even  the 
keyholes,  and  set  fire  to  the  brimstone.  When  four  or  five  hours  have  elapsed,  the 
room  may  be  entered  and  the  windows  opened  for  a  thorough  airing. 

The  fact  that  the  bedbug  has  a  very  effective  enemy  in  the  common 
house  cockroach  has  already  been  alluded  to,  and  is  particularly 
described  in  the  chapter  on  the  cockroach.  Another  common  insect 
visitor  in  houses,  and  a  very  annoying  one  also  to  the  careful  house- 
keeper, the  little  red  ant  (Monomorhim  pharaonis),  is  also  known  to  be 
a  very  active  and  effective  enemy  of  the  bedbug.  Mr.  Theo.  Pergaude, 
ot  this  office,  informs  me  that  during  the  late  war,  when  he  was 
with  the  Union  army,  he  occupied  at  one  time  barracks  at  Meridian, 
Miss.,  which  had  been  abandoned  by  the  Southern  troops  some 
time  before.  The  premises  proved  to  be  swarming  with  bedbugs; 
but  very  shortly  afterwards  the  little  red  house  ant  discovered  the 
presence  of  the  bedbugs  and  came  in  in  enormous  numbers,  and  Mr. 
Pergande  witnessed  the  very  interesting  and  pleasing  sight  of  the  bed- 
bugs being  dismembered  or  carried  away  bodily  by  these  very  minute 
ants,  many  times  smaller  than  the  bugs  which  they  were  handling  so 
successfully.  The  result  was  that  in  a  single  day  the  bedbug  nuisance 
was  completely  abated.  The  liking  of  red  ants  for  bedbugs  is  con- 
firmed also  by  a  correspondent  writing  from  Florida  (F.  C.  M.  Boggess), 
who  goes  so  far  as  to  heartily  recommend  the  artificial  introduction  of 
the  ants  to  abate  this  bug  nuisance.  (Insect  Life,  Vol.  VI,  p.  340.) 
l>edbugs  and  other  household  insects,  however,  are  not  of  the  sort 
which  it  is  convenient  or  profitable  to  turn  over  to  their  natural  ene- 
mies in  the  hope  that  eradication  by  this  means  will  follow,  and  the 
fact  of  their  being  preyed  upon  by  other  insects  furnishes  no  excuse  to 
the  housekeeper  for  not  instituting  prompt  remedial  measures. 

THE    BLOOD-SUCKING    CONE-NOSE. 

(Conorhinus  nanguisuga  Lee.) 

Somewhat  allied  to  the  bedbug  in  habit  is  another  true  bug,  Cono- 
rhinus  sanguisuga,  bearing  the  very  descriptive  and  appropriate  popu- 
lar name  of  the  "  blood  -sucking  cone-nose,"  or  sometimes  called  the 


THE    BEDBUG    AND    CONE-NOSE. 


39 


Texas  or  Mexican  bedbug,  or  simply  the  big  bedbug.  Until  recently  it 
has  been  a  rare  visitant  in  houses,  and  is  still  practically  unknown  in 
Eastern  cities,  but  in  country  places,  particularly  in  the  Mississippi 

Valley.,  is  now  often  found  in  bedrooms,  and  its  bile  is  very  severe  and 
painful,  resulting  in  much  more  pronounced  swelling  and  inflammation 
than  in  the  case  of  the  bedbug. 

The  cone-nose  belongs  to  the  group  of  true  bugs  which  includes 
predaceous  species,  or  those  which  normally  t'va\  on  other  insects 
rather  than  on  plant  juices.  The  members  of  the  genus  Conorhinus 
are  mostly  South  American,  and,  on  the  authority  of  Burmeister, 
have  the  habit  in  the  adult  state  of  living,  in  part  at  least,  on  the 
blood  of  mammals. 
The  normal  food  of 
our  species  is,  how- 
ever, unquestionably 
other  insects,  and  its 
liking  for  human 
blood  is  evidently  a 
habit  of  recent  ac- 
quisition and  limited 
to  the  full-grown  in- 
sect, and  probably 
only  a  small  percent- 
age <>f  these  ever 
taste  blood.  Miss 
Bertha  K  i  m  ball 
(Trans.  Kans.  .Acad. 
Sci.,  Vol.  XXIV,  p. 
L28,  1896)  reports 
that  they  are  often 
found  in  poultry 
houses,  and  thai 
when  abundant  they 
attack  horses  in 
barns,  and  probably 
other  domestic  animals.  In  houses  it  has  been  found  with  bedbugs,  and 
will  unquestionably  feed  upon  them,  especially  if  it  can  secure  speci- 
mens already  charged  with  human  blood,  and  it  has  been  actually 
observed  eating  what  was  taken  to  be  a  young  roach.  In  captivity  Miss 
Kimball  has  succeeded  in  feeding  both  young  and  adults  on  house  flies. 
That  the  blood  taking  habit  may  be  easily  acquired  is  shown  by  t  lie  fact 
that  many  common  plant  bugs,  if  captured,  will  pierce  the  flesh,  and 
several  of  the  species  which  are  attracted  to  light  at  night  and  settle 
on  one's  hand  will  pierce  the  skin  and  till  themselves  with  blood. 

The  accompanying  figures  of  this  insect  represent  the  c^g,  new  1  v 
hatched  larva-,  and  last  larval  stage,  drawn  to  the  same  scale  tig.  11), 
and    the   pupal    stages  and    the    adult,    also   drawn    t<>  a   scale,    but    less 


Fia.  10.  Conorhinus  sninjuisuga: 
stage;  C,  adult  bug;  d,  same, 
scale  (original). 


a.  first  papal  BtagC;   I>.  second  pupal 
lateral   view— all  enlarged   to  same 


40 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


magnified  than  the  others  (fig.  10).  The  eggs  and  young  larvae  have 
recently  been  described  lor  the  first  time  by  Miss  Kimball  (1.  c.),  and 
this  summer  a  large  number  of  specimens  in  all  stages  were  received 
from  the  West,  from  which  the  accompanying  figures  were  made. 
From  these  specimens  many  eggs  were  obtained,  and  later,  larva?. 

The  cone-nose  is  a  rather  large  insect,  measuring  an  inch  in  length 
and  characterized  by  a  flattened  body  and  very  narrow,  pointed  head 
and  short,  strong  beak.  In  color  it  is  dark  brown,  with  the  light  areas 
indicated  in  the  figure  pinkish.  Its  "  buggy"  odor  is  even  more  intense 
than  that  of  the  bedbug.     It  is  anight  flyer  and  is  attracted  into  open 


Fig.  11 — Conorhinus  sanguisuga:  a,  larva,  second  stage;  ft,  newly 
hatched  larva;  c,  egg  with  sculpturing  of  surface  shown  at  side — all 
enlarged  to  same  scale — (original). 

windows  by  lights.  It  conceals  itself  during  the  day  under  any  loose 
object,  often  leaving  beds  which  it  may  have  frequented  during  the  night. 
The  adult  is  not  apt  to  take  flight,  but  can  run  rather  swiftly. 

The  eggs  are  white,  changing  to  yellow  and  pink  before  hatching,  and 
of  the  peculiar  shape  indicated  in  the  illustration.  The  young  hatch 
within  twenty  days.  There  are  at  least  two  larval  stages  (tig.  11,  «,  b) 
and  two  pupal  stages  (tig.  10,  a,  />),  the  latter  characterized  by  the  pres- 
ence of  distinct  wing  pads.  In  all  these  stages  the  insect  is  active  and 
predaceous.  The  eggs  are  normally  deposited  and  the  early  stages  are 
undoubtedly  passed  out  of  doors,  the  food  of  the  immature  forms  being 
other  insects.  The  eggs  which  may  be  dropped  indoors  must  fail 
normally  to  mature  adults,  and  in  fact  immature  specimens  are  rarely 
found  indoors,  and  the  wingless  and  rather  sluggish  larva4  and  pupae 
would  have  little  opportunity  of  reaching  the  higher  animals  under  any 
circumstances.     It  winters,  both  in  the  partly  grown  and  the  adult 


THE    BEDBUG    AND    COXE-NOSE. 


41 


state,  often  nnder  bark  of  trees  or  in  any  similar  protection,  and  only  in 
its  nocturnal  spring  and  early  summer  flights  does  it  become  an  enemy 
of  man  in  the  effort  to  gratify  its  taste  for  human  blood. 

This  insect  is  particularly  abundant  and  usually  enters  bouses  in 
early  spring  |  April  and  May),  sometimes  in  considerable  numbers,  and 
seems  to  be  decidedly  on  the  increase  in  the  region  which  it  particu 
larly  affects — the  plains  region  from  Texas  northward  and  westward. 
A  correspondent  in  Indian  Territory  reported  Laving  in  the  course  of 
a  short  while  killed  upward  of  a  dozen.  They  were  usually  found  in 
the  bed  or  near  by,  and  their  connection  with  the  injury  was  often 
very  plainly  evident  by  their  being  found  turgid  with  blood. 

The  common  California  species  closely  resembles  in  appearance  and 
habits  the  one  named  at  the  head  of  this  section,  but  is  a   distinct 

species  and  apparently  undescribed.  The 
local  name  in  California  for  this  insect  is 
••  monitor  bug." 

The  results  of  the  bite  of  the  <  one-  nose 
on  the  human  subject  vary  a  good  deal 
witn  the  susceptibility  of  the  person  bit- 
ten, but  are  often  of  a  very  serious  and 
alarming  character.  The  piercing  of  the 
skin  is  evidently  accompanied  by  the 
injection  of  some  poisonous  liquid  or 
venom,  making-  a  sore,  itching  wound, 
accompanied  with  a  burning  pain  lasting 
sometimes  from  two  to  lour  days,  and 
often  associated  with  swellings,  which 
may  extend  over  a  good  deal  of  the  body. 
That  there  is  a  specific  poison  injected  is 

brged;  , .  same,  from  below-much  en-    indicated  rather  conclusivclv  by  the  very 
Uurged  (original). 

constant  and  uniform  character  of  the 
symptoms  in  nearly  all  cases  of  bites  by  this  insect.  It  has,  however, 
been  suggested  that  the  very  serious  results  which  sometimes  follow 
its  bite  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  it  has  previously  thrust  its  beak 
into  some  decaying  animal  matter,  causing  a  certain  amount  of  blood 
poisoning  in  the  patient.  This  theory  has  support  in  the  facts  stated 
by  the  late  ,1.  B.  Lembert,  of  California,  who  says  that  he  has  noticed 
that  the  species  of  Conorhinus  occurring  on  the  Pacific  Slope  i^ 
attracted  by  carrion.  Mr.  Lembert  described  the  effect  on  himself 
of  a  sting  by  this  insect  on  the  middle  toe  of  the  left  foot.  Following 
the  sting  an  itching  sensation  extended  up  the  leg.  large  blotches 
manifesting  themselves  on  the  upper  part  of  the  limb  and  extending 
up  to  the  hands  and  arms.  Bis  lips  swelled,  and  the  itching  and 
swelling  extended  over  the  bead,  and  he  was  also  much  nauseated. 
The  itching  abated  after  four  oi'  five  hours,  but  the  swelling  did  not  go 
down  until  the  next  day.      A   correspondent,  writing  to  Prof.  J.  W. 


CL.  *>  O 

Fig.  12. — Conorhinus  sanguisvc/a:  a, head, 
showing  beak;  '-.  same,  from  the  side, 
with  piercing  setae  removed  from 
sheath  and  with  tip  of  one  of  them  en- 


42  PRINCIPAL   HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

Tourney,  describes  similar  results  from  a  sting  from  one  of  these  insects 
iu  Arizona.  The  patient, a  woman,  broke  out  over  the  body  and  limbs 
with  red  blotches  or  welts,  like  a  severe  ease  of  measles,  from  a  sting 
ou  the  shoulder.  Bathing  with  sweet  oil  soon  reduced  the  dangerous 
symptoms,  which  were  accompanied  with  severe  headache  and  nausea. 
Similar  results  following  the  puncture  of  this  insect  have  been  reported 
from  Indian  Territory,  Kansas,  and  elsewhere.  Miss  Kimball  (1.  e.) 
says  that  some  relief  from  the  effects  of  the  bites  of  this  insect  is 
afforded  by  camphor,  ammonia,  and  the  ordinary  remedies  for  insect 
stings. 

To  attempt  to  control  the  out-of-door  multiplication  of  this  insect  is 
manifestly  out  of  the  question,  and  in  the  screening  of  the  entrances 
of  houses  or  chambers  is  the  only  practical  method  of  protection.  It 
hardly  needs  stating  that  all  examples  found  should  be  promptly 
killed. 


chapter  nr. 

HOUSE   FLIES,    CENTIPEDES,    AND    OTHER   INSECTS   THAT  ARE 
ANNOYING  RATHER  THAN  DIRECTLY  INJURIOUS. 


I'.v   L.  <>.    Ilnw 


I..     M  UM.ATT 


HOUSE  FLIES. 


Musi  a  domestica.  et  al. 


In  common  parlance  there  is  but  one  house  fly,although  a  number  of 
species  are  in  the  habit  of  entering  houses  and  cause  more  or  less 
annoyance.  The  most  abundant  form  is  the  house  fly  proper  (Musca 
fomestica  Linn.).  It  is  a  medium-sized,  grayish  fly,  with  its  mouth 
barts  spread  out  at  the  tip  for  sucking  up  liquid  substances.  It  breeds 
in  manure  and  dooryard  tilth  and  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the 


Fio.  lZ.—Mu*ca  domestica:   a,  adult  male:  i>,  proboscis  and  palpus  of  same;  «•.  terminal  joints  of 
antenna);  •>.  head  of  female;  <■,  pupariom;/,  anterior  spiracle    all  enlarged  (original). 

world.  On  account  of  the  conformation  of  its  mouth  parts,  the  house 
fly  can  not  bite,  yet  no  impression  is  stronger  in  the  minds  of  most 
people  than  that  this  insect  does  occasionally  bite.  This  impression  is 
due  to  the  frequent  occurrence  in  houses  of  another  fly  (Stomoxys  <-<ilci 
trims),  which  may  be  called  the  stable  fly,  and  which,  while  closely 
resembling  the  house  fly  (so  closely,  in  fact,  as  to  deceive  anyone  but  an 

i:; 


44  PRINCIPAL   HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

entomologist), differs  from  it  in  the  important  particular  that  its  mouth 
parts  are  formed  for  piercing  the  skin.  It  is  perhaps  second  in  point 
of  abundance  to  the  house  fly  in  most  portions  of  the  Northeastern 

States. 

A  third  species,  commonly  called  the  (duster  fly  (Pollenia  nulls),  is  a 
very  frequent  visitant  of  houses,  particularly  in  the  spring  and  fall. 
This  fly  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  house  fly,  with  a  dark-colored, 
smooth  abdomen  and  a  sprinkling  of  yellowish  hair.  It  is  not  so  active 
as  the  house  fly,  and  particularly  in  the  fall  is  very  sluggish.  At  such 
times  it  may  be  picked  up  readily,  and  is  very  subject  to  the  attacks  of 
a  fungus  disease  which  causes  it  to  die  upon  window  panes  surrounded 
by  a  whitish  efflorescence.  Occasionally  this  fly  occurs  in  houses  in 
such  numbers  as  to  cause  great  annoyance,  but  such  occurrences  are 
comparatively  rare. 

A  fourth  species  is  another  stable  fly  known  as  Cyrtoneura  stabulans, 
and  a  fifth,  rather  commoner  than  the  last,  is  the  so-called  bluebottle 
fly  (Galliphora  erythrocephala).  This  insect  is  also  called  the  blowfly 
or  meat  fly,  and  breeds  in  decaying  animal  material.  Another  species, 
about  the  size  of  the  bluebottle,  which  breeds  abundantly  in  cow- 
dung  and  is  also  found  in  houses,  although  usually  in  less  numbers 
than  the  others,  is  also  commonly  called  the  bluebottle  or  green-bottle 
fly  (Lucilia  cwsar). 

There  is  still  another  species,  smaller  than  any  of  those  so  far  men- 
tioned, which  is  known  to  entomologists  as  Homalomyia  canicularis, 
sometimes  called  the  small  house  fly.  It  is  distinguished  from  the 
ordinary  house  fly  by  its  paler  and  more  pointed  body  and  conical  shape. 
The  male,  which  is  much  commoner  than  the  female,  has  large  pale 
patches  at  the  base  of  the  abdomen,  which  are  translucent.  When 
seen  on  a  window  pane  the  light  shines  through  that  part  of  the  body. 
Not  much  complaint  would  be  made  of  house  flies  were  the  true  house 
fly  a  nonexistent  form.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  it  far  outnum- 
bers all  other  species  in  houses.  Common  and  widespread  as  this 
species  is,  there  is  very  general  ignorance,  as  with  many  other  extremely 
common  insects,  as  to  its  life  history  and  habits  outside  of  the  adult 
stage.  Writing  in  1873,  Dr.  A.  S.  Packard1  showed  that  no  one  in  this 
country  had  up  to  that  time  investigated  its  habits,  and  that  even  in 
Europe  but  little  attention  had  been  given  to  it.  He  showed  that  the 
habits  were  mentioned  in  only  three  works,  one  of  which  was  published 
during  the  present  century,  with  figures  so  poor  and  inadequate  as  to 
be  actually  misleading.  De  Geer  (1752)  showed  that  ti.e  larva  lives  iu 
warm  and  humid  dung,  but  did  not  say  how  long  it  remains  in  the 
different  stages.  Bouche"  (1834)states  that  the  larva  lives  in  horse  and 
fowl's  dung,  especially  when  warmj  he  did  not,  however,  give  the 
length  of  the  larval  state. 

1  On  the  Transformations  of  the  Common  House  Fly,  with  Notes  on  Allied  Forms. 
Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  Vol.  XVI.  1871.  p.  1S6. 


HOUSE    PLIES,  CENTIPEDES,  AND    OTHER    ENSECT8. 


45 


few  rearing    ^%. 

re    made   in      e    a^ 


Dr.  Packard  studied  the  species  wit  h  some  care,  and  obtained  large 
numbers  of  the  eggs  by  exposing  horse  manure.  He  carefully  followed 
tlie  transformations  of  the  insect,  and  gave  descriptions  of  all  stages. 
He  found  the  duration  of  the  egg  state  t«>  be  twenty-four  Lours,  the 

duration  of  the  larval  stale  live  to  seven  days,  and  of  the  pupal  state 
five  to  seven  days.  The  period  from  tin'  time  of  hatching  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  the  adult,  therefore,  occupies,  according  to  Packard,  from  ten  to 
fourteen  days.      His  observations  were  made  at  Salem,  Mass. 

As  is  quite  to  be  expected,  as  we  go  further  south  the  house  fly 
becomes  more  numerous  and  more  troublesome.  The  number  of  gen- 
erations annually  increases  as  the  season  becomes  longer,  and  with  the 
warm  climate  the  develop- 
ment of  the  larva'  becomes 
more  rapid.  A 
experiments  wei 
this  office  during  the  summej 
of  lS9o,  and  it  was  unexpect- 
edly found  that  the  house  tly 
is  a  difficult  insect  to  rear  in 
confinement.  Buzzing  about 
everywhere,  and  apparently 
living  with  ease  under  the 
most  adverse  conditions,  it  is 
nevertheless,  when  confined 
in  the  warm  season  of  the 
year  to  a  small  receptacle, 
not  at  all  tenacious  of  life. 
Jt  results  from  this  fact,  for 
example,  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  ascertain  the 
length  of  the  life  of  the  house 
fly  in  the  adult  condition. 
On  .June  26  a  small  quantity 
of  fresh  horse  manure  was 
exposed  in  a  fly-in  tested  room 
for  a  few  minutes.     The  tlies 

deposited  theireggs  freely  and  immediately  in  this  substance.1  At  the 
same  time  the  specimens  were  confined  in.a  glass  dish  7.5  inches  in  diam- 
eter and  3  inches  in  height.  In  this  dish  was  a  layer  of  moist  sand,  cov- 
ered with  a  layer  of  fresh  horse  manure,  and  the  vessel  was  covered  with 
a  piece  of  gauze.  On  the  following  morning  all  the  tlies.  twenty-four  in 
number,  were  dead,  and  not  a  single  egg  had  been  laid.  A  fresh  sup- 
ply of  tlies  w;is  introduced  into  the  same  vessel,  and  the  next  morning  all 
were  dead  and  no  eggs  had  been  laid.  The  cover  was  now  removed  from 
this  vessel  and  the  latter  placed  in  a  glass  cylinder  1  1  inches  high,  the 


PlO.  14. — Musca  domestica:  a,  fall-grown  larva:  h,  one  of 
its  anterior  spiracles;  c,  side  view  of  head;  (/,  hind  end 
of  body  Bhowing  anal  spiracles;  <•.  side  view-  of  head; 
/,  head  from  above;  ;/,  head  of  young  larva  from  above ; 
I',  eggs— all  enlarged  (original). 


1  The  experiments  which  follow  were  conducted  by  Mr.  1>.  W.(  oqaiUett. 


46 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


top  of  which  vras  covered  with  gauze,  and  twenty  flies  introduced. 
This  was  at  noon  ;  by  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  no  eggs  could  be  found, 
but  at  J>  o'clock  the  next  morning  two  clusters  of  eggshells,  one  cluster 
containing  2G  and  the  other  45  eggs,  were  found.  The  eggs  had  been 
deposited  in  small  cavities  between  the  sides  of  the  vessel  and  the 
manure,  at  a  depth  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  below  the  surface, 
but  were  not  arranged  in  any  regular  order.  Afterwards  several  black- 
berries, cherries,  and  partly  decayed  apples  were  placed  in  this  vessel, 
and  more  Hies  were  introduced.  xV  single  e^^  was  found  the  next  day 
on  the  upper  side  of  one  of  the  blackberries.  At  a  later  date  experi- 
ments were  tried  in  the  same  jar  with  fresh  cow  manure.  Apparently 
no  eggs  were  deposited  until  the  third  day,  when  two  small  clusters 
were  observed.     These  hatched  in  due  time,  but  all  the  larvae  died 

before  attaining  full  growth. 


$    % 


CL 


J? 


Fig.  15.— Musca  domestica:  «,  pupa  removed  from 
puparium;  b,  hind  end  of  body  of  larva,  in  second 
stage;  c,  anal  spiracles  of  larva  in  first  stage— all 
enlarged  (original). 


These  experiments  were 
hardly  extensive  enough  to  al- 
low us  to  generalize,  but  so  far 
as  they  go  they  seem  to  show 
that  horse  manure  is  the  favorite 
breeding  place  of  the  house  fly. 
Continuous  observations  made 
upon  the  offspring  of  flies  which 
bred  most  freely  in  this  last- 
named  substance  indicated  that 
the  larva)  molt  twice  and  that 
there  are  thus  three  distinct 
larval  stages.  The  periods  of 
development  were  found  to  be 
about  as  follows:  Egg  from  de- 
position to  hatching,  one-third 
of  a  day;  hatching  of  larva  to 'first  molt,  one  day;  first  to  second  molt, 
one  day;  second  molt  to  pupation,  three  days;  pupation  to  issuing  of 
the  adult,  five  days;  total  life  round,  approximately  ten  days.  There 
is  thus  abundance  of  time  for  the  development  of  twelve  or  thirteen 
generations  in  the  climate  of  Washington  every  summer. 

The  number  of  eggs  laid  by  an  individual  fly  is  undoubtedly  very 
large,  averaging  about  120,  and  the  enormous  numbers  in  which  the 
insects  occur  is  thus  plainly  accounted  for,  especially  when  we  consider 
the  abundance  and  universal  occurrence  of  appropriate  larval  food. 
The  difl'erent  stages  of  the  insect  are  well  illustrated  in  the  accompany- 
ing figures  and  need  no  description. 

Taschenberg  in  his  Praktische  Insekteukunde.  i  v,  1880, 102-107,  gives 
a  good  popular  account  of  the  house  fl}r,  but  leaves  the  impression  that 
the  duration  of  a  generation  is  much  longer  than  we  have  indicated. 
He  also  states  that  the  female  lays  its  eggs  on  a  great  variety  of  sub- 
stances, particularly  on  spoiled  and  moist  food  stuffs,  decaying  meat, 


HOUSE    FLIES,  CENTIPEDES,  AND    OTHER    INSECTS.  47 

meat  broth,  cut  melons,  dead  animals,  in  manure  pits,  on  manure  heaps, 
and  even  in  cuspidors  and  open  snuff  boxes.  The  fact  remains  bow- 
ever  that  horse  manure  forms  the  principal  breeding  place,  and  that  in 
confinement  wo  have  been  unable  to  rear  it  to  maturity  on  any  other 

substance. 

There  is  not  much  that  need  be  said  about  remedies  tor  house  dies. 
A  careful  screening  of  windows  and  doors  during  the  summer  months, 
with  the  supplementary  use  of  sticky  fly  paper,  i>  a  method  known  to 
everyone,  and  there  seems  to  be  little  hope  in  the  near  future  of  much 
relict  by  doing  away  with  the  breeding  places.  A  single  stable  in 
which  a  horse  is  kept  will  supply  house  (lies  tor  an  extended  neighbor- 
hood. People  living  in  agricultural  communities  will  probably  never 
be  rid  of  the  pest,  but  in  cities,  with  better  methods  of  disposal  of 
garbage  and  with  the  lessening  of  the  numbers  of  horses  and  horse 
stables  consequent  upon  electric  street  railways  and  bicycles,  and 
probably  horseless  carriages,  the  time  may  come,  and  before  very  long 
when  window  screens  may  be  discarded.  The  prompt  gathering  of 
home  manure  which  maybe  treated  with  lime  or  kept  in  a  specially 
prepared  pit  would  greatly  abate  the  fly  nuisance,  and  city  ordinances 
compelling  horse  owners  to  follow  some  such  course  are  desirable. 
Absolute  cleanliness,  even  under  existing  circumstances,  will  always 
result  in  a  diminution  of  the  numbers  of  the  house  fly,  and.  as  will  be 
pointed  out  in  other  cases  in  this  bulletin,  most  household  insects  are 
less  attracted  to  the  premises  of  what  is  known  as  the  old-fashioned 
housekeeper  than  to  those  of  the  other  kind. 

The  house  fly  has  a  number  of  natural  enemies,  ami.  as  will  be  pointed 
out  in  the  next  section  of  this  bulletin,  the  common  house  centipede 
destroys  it  in  considerable  numbers;  there  is  a  small  reddish  mite 
which  frequently  covers  its  body  and  gradually  destroys  it;  it  is  sub- 
ject to  the  attacks  of  hymenopteroas  parasites  in  its  larval  condition, 
and  it  is  destroyed  by  predatory  beetles  at  the  same  time.  The  most 
effect  iveenemy,  however,  is  a  fungous  disease  known  as  Empusina  mu8ccc: 
which  carries  off  (lies  in  large  numbers,  particularly  toward  the  close 
of  the  season.  The  epidemic  ceases  in  December,  and  although  many 
thousands  are  killed  by  it.  the  remarkable  rapidity  of  development  in 
the  early  summer  months  soon  more  than  replaces  the  thousands  thus 
dest  roved. 

L.  o.  11. 

THE    HOUSE    CENTIPEDE. 
I  Scutigera  forceps  Raf. 

This  centipede,  particularly  within  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years,  has 
become  altogether  too  common  an  object  in  dwelling  houses  in  the 
Middle  and  Northern  States  for  the  peace  of  mind  of  the  inmates.  It  is  a 
very  fragile  creature,  capable  of  very  rapid  movements,  and  elevated  con- 
siderably above  the  surface  upon  which  it  runs  by  very  numerous  long 
legs.    It  may  often  be  seen  darting  across  floors  with  very  great  speed. 


48 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


occasionally  stopping  suddenly  and  remaining  absolutely  motionless, 
presently  to  resume  its  rapid  movements,  often  darting  directly  at 
inmates  of  the  house,  particularly  women,  evidently  with  a  desire  to  con- 
ceal itself  beneath  their  dresses,  and  thuscreating  considerable  conster- 
nation. The  creature  is  not  a  true  insect,  but  belongs  to  the Myriopoda, 
commonly  known  as  centipedes  or  thousand-legs,  and  is  sometimes 
called  the  "skein"  centipede,  from  the  fact  that  when  crushed  or 
motionless  it  looks,  from  its  numerous  long-  legs,  like  a  mass  of  fila- 
ments or  threads.     It  is  a  creature  of  the  damp,  and  is  particularly 

abundant  in  bathrooms,  moist  closets,  and  cel- 
lars, multiplying  excessively  also  in  conserv- 
atories, especially  about  places  where  pots  are 
stored,  and  near  heating  pipes.  In  houses  it 
will  often  be  dislodged  from  behind  furniture 
or  be  seen  to  run  rapidly  across  the  room, 
either  in  search  of  food  or  concealment.  If 
examined  closely  its  very  cleanly  habits  may 
occasionally  be  manifested  in  that  it  may  be 
observed  to  pass  its  long  legs,  one  after  an- 
other, through  its  mandibles,  to  remove  any 
adhering  dust.  Its  rather  weird  appearance, 
its  peculiar  manner  of  locomotion,  and  fre- 
quently its  altogether  too  friendly  way  of  ap- 
proaching people,  give  it  great  interest,  and, 
with  its  increasing  abundance  in  the  North, 
make  it  a  subject  of  frequent  inquiry.  It  is  a 
Southern  species,  its  normal  habitat  being  in 
the  southern  tier  of  States  and  southwestward 
through  Texas  into  Mexico.  It  has  slowly 
spread  northward,  having  been  observed  in 
Pennsylvania  as  early  as  1849,  and  reaching 
New  York  and  Massachusetts  twenty  or 
twenty -five  years  ago,  but  for  many  years  after 
its  first  appearance  in  the  latter  States  it  was 
of  rare  occurrence.  It  is  now  very  common 
throughout  New  York  and  the  New  England 
States,  and  extends  westward  well  beyond 
the  Mississippi,  probably  to  the  mountains. 
It  is  a  very  delicate  creature,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  catch  it, 
even  should  one  desire  to  do  so,  without  dismembering  several  of  its 
numerous  legs  or  crushing  it.  If  crushed  under  the  foot,  as  one's  fir>t 
impulse  would  suggest,  nothing  remains  but  a  mass  of  intertwined 
limbs,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  tangle  of  threads.  If  captured,  so 
that  it  can  be  more  easily  examined,  it  will  be  found  to  consist  of  a 
worm-like  body  of  an  inch  or  a  little  more  in  length,  armed  at  the  head 
with  a  pair  of  very  long,  slender  antenna4,  and  along  the  sides  with  a 


Fn ; .  1 G. — Scutigera forceps:  Adult — 
natural  sizo  (original). 


HOUSE    FLIES,  CENTIPEDES,  AND    OTHER    INSl.c  is. 


49 


fringe  of  fifteen  pairs  of  long  legs.  The  last  pair  arc  mucb  Longer  Mian 
the  others,  in  the  female  more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  body.  In 
color  it  is  of  a  grayish  yellow,  marked  above  with  three  longitudinal 
dark  stripes.     Examination  of  its  mouth  parts  shows  thai  they  are  very 

powerful,  and  litted  for  biting,  indicating  a  predatory  or  carnivorous 
habit. 
The  indications  of  its  month  parts  are  borne  out  by  its  food  habits, 

besides  being  indicated  by  the  known  food  habits  of  the  other  members 
of  the  group  of  centipedes  to  which  it  belongs.  It  was  inferred,  before 
any  direct  observations  were  made,  that  its  food  was  probablj  house 
tlies.  roaches,  and  any  other  insect  inhabitants  of  dwellings.  Later 
many  direct  observations  have  confirmed  this  inference,  and  in  cap- 


PlG.  IT. — Scutigera  forceps:  a,  newly-hatched   individual:  h,  one  of  lejrs  of 
same:   r,  trnniiial   segment  of  body  showing    undeveloped    lt'.LJs   coiled    up 

within  -  all  enlarged  (original). 

tivity,  <>n  the  authority  of  Professor  Ilargitt,  it  feeds  readily  on  roaches, 
house  flies,  and  other  insects.  Miss  .Mnrtleldt  reports  also  having 
observed  specimens  devouring  small  moths.  During  the  act  of  devour- 
ing a  mot  h  they  kept  their  numerous  long  legs  vibrating  with  incredible 
swiftness,  so  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  a  hazy  spot  or  space  sur- 
rounding the  fluttering  moth  (Insect  Lite,  Vol.  VI,  p.  258).  It  is  sup 
posed  also  to  feed  on  the  bedbug,  and  doubtless  will  eat  any  inseel 
which  it  captures,  and  its  quickness  and  agility  lease  few  insects  safe 
from  it. 

Messrs.  Fletcher  and  Howard  observed  its  mode  of  capturing  the 
croton  bug,  which  is  interesting  as  illustrating  the  habits  of  this  centi- 
pede and  its  allies.      In   this    instance    the  centipede  sprang  over   its 
280.")— No.  I 4 


50  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

prey,  inclosing  and  caging  it  with  its  many  legs.  In  its  habit  of  spring- 
ing after  its  prey  this  centipede  is  similar  to  spiders,  which  it  also 
resembles  in  its  rapacious  habits.  It  would  therefore  seem  to  be  a  very 
efficient  enemy  of  many  of  our  house  pests.  The  common  idea  that  it 
probably  feeds  on  household  goods  and  woolens  or  other  clothing  has 
no  basis  in  fact. 

The  popular  belief  is  that  this  centipede  is  extremely  poisonous, 
and,  as  it  belongs  with  the  poisonous  group  of  centipedes,  it  can  not 
be  questioned  but  that  the  bite  of  the  creature  is  probably  somewhat 
poisonous  as  well  as  painful,  though  the  seriousness  of  the  results  will 
be  dependent,  as  in  all  similar  cases,  on  the  susceptibility  of  the  patient. 
The  poison  injected  in  the  act  of  biting  is  probably  merely  to  assist  in 
numbing  and  quieting  its  victim,  and  in  spite  of  its  abundance  in  houses 
in  the  North,  and  for  many  years  its  much  greater  abundance  in  the 
South,  very  few  cases  are  recorded  of  its  having  bitten  any  human 
being,  and  it  is  very  questionable  whether  it  would  ever,  unprovoked, 
attack  any  large  animal.  If  pressed  with  the  bare  foot  or  hand,  or  if 
caught  between  sheets  in  beds,  this,  like  almost  any  other  insect,  will 
unquestionably  bite  in  self-defense,  and  the  few  such  cases  on  record 
indicate  that  severe  swelling  and  pain  may  result  from  the  poison 
injected.  Prompt  dressing  of  the  wound  with  ammonia  will  greatly 
alleviate  the  disagreeable  symptoms. 

Little  is  known  of  the  early  life  history  of  this  Myriapod.  It  is 
found  in  the  adult  state  in  houses  during  practically  the  entire  year. 
Half-grown  individuals  are  also  found  frequently  during  the  summer. 
A  newly-born  specimen  was  recently  found  by  Mr.  H.  G.  Hubbard  in 
the  Department  Insectary  under  a  moist  section  of  a  log,  and  differed 
from  the  older  forms  chiefly  in  possessing  fewer  legs.  Its  character- 
istics are  indicated  in  the  accompanying  illustration  (tig.  17).  In  the 
half-grown  and  later  stages  it  does  not  differ  materially  from  the  adult, 
except  in  size,  and  its  habits  throughout  life  are  probably  subject  to 
little  variation. 

If  it  were  not  for  its  uncanny  appearance,  which  is  hardly  calculated 
to  inspire  conlidence,  especially  when  it  is  darting  at  one  with  great 
speed,  and  the  rather  poisonous  nature  of  its  bite,  it  would  not  neces- 
sarily be  an  unwelcome  visitor  in  houses,  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  be 
looked  upon  rather  as  an  aid  in  keeping  in  check  various  household 
pests.  Its  appearance  in  our  dwellings,  however,  will  not  often  be  wel- 
come notwithstanding  its  useful  role.  It  can  be  best  controlled  by 
promptly  destroying  all  the  individuals  which  make  their  appearance, 
and  by  keeping  the  moist  places  in  houses  free  from  any  object  behind 
which  it  can  conceal  itself,  or  at  least  subjecting  such  locations  to 
freqent  inspection.  In  places  near  water  pipes,  or  in  storerooms  where 
it  may  secrete  itself  and  occur  in  some  numbers,  a  free  use  of  fresh 
pyrethrum  powder  is  to  be  advised. 

C.  L.  M. 


HOUSE    FLIES,  CENTIPEDES,  AND    OTHER    INSECTS. 


51 


THE  CLOVER  MITE. 

(BryoMa  pratensia  Garm.) 

The  subject  of  tins  section  is  a  very  minute  reddish  mite,  less  than  ;i 
millimeter  in  length,  which,  particularly  in  the  Mi-idle  Stales,  fre- 
quently enters  houses  in  enormous  numbers  in  autumn,  causing  consid- 
erable consternation  and  arousing  very  natural  Tears.     Aside  from  the 


Fio.  l%.—Bryobia  pratensia:  a,  female  bom  above;  6,  same,  ventral  view,  frith  \>~z*  removed;  e 
and  rf.  tarsal  claws;  e,  proboscis  and  palpi  from  below;  /,  probosoia  enlarged;  gy  palpns  enlarged;  A. 
one  of  the  body  scales:  /,  scale  from  outer  cepbalo  thoracic  prominence; ./.  scale  from  inner  cepbalo 
thoracic  prominence;  fc,  Berrate  liair  from  basal  join!  <>t  leg;  I.  same  !'n>ni  penultimate  joint;  m. 
spine  of  last  joint—  o,  b,  greatly  enlarged;  e-m,  still  more  enlarged  (from  Rilej  and  Kiarlatt). 


52 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


disagreeableness  of  its  mere  presence,  it  lias  no  objectionable  conse- 
quences. This  mite  is  somewhat  allied  to  the  common  red  mite  of 
greenhouses,  and  in  fact  has  a  similar  habit,  but  lives  out  of  doors  on 
vegetation  and  has  a  decided  preference  for  clover,  whence  its  common 
name  of  clover  mite.  It  occurs  very  commonly  in  the  Northern  and 
Central  States  from  Massachusetts  to  California,  and  is  frequently 
abundant  on  various  orchard  and  shade  trees.  In  the  mountain  ranges 
of  the  Pacific  Coast  its  eggs  have  been  found  in  enormous  numbers  on 
the  bark  of  various  mountain  trees,  especially  the  cottonwood  (Populus 
tremuloides).    These  eggs  are  often  massed  two  or  three  layers  deep, 

and  their  reddish  color  entirely  obscures 
the  natural  color  of  the  bark.  One  writer 
states  that  he  found  at  least  50  square  feet 
of  these  eggs  on  the  south  sides  of  the 
trunks  of  cottonwoods  at  an  elevation  of 
0,000  to  8,000  feet.  In  the  Eastern  and 
Central  States  the  eggs  are  found  similarly 
placed  in  the  crotches  of  orchard  and  shade 
trees,  and  frequently  in  sufficient  numbers 
to  give  a  reddish  color  to  small  areas. 
Complaints  of  this  mite  have  been  received 
from  a  great  many  sources  in  the  Middle 
and  Eastern  States.  That  they  are  a  nui- 
sance in  bouses  is  due  to  their  habit  of 
migrating  in  the  fall,  possibly  for  shelter 
or  in  search  of  food.  In  the  case  of  house 
invasions  the  mites  will  almost  invariably 
be  found  to  have  come  from  some  near-by  vegetation,  usually  from  the 
surrounding  lawns.  After  they  have  once  gained  entrance  they  may 
be  exterminated  by  a  liberal  and  abuudant  use  of  iusect  powders,  fumi- 
gating with  burning  brimstone,  or  spraying  with  benzine,  care  being 
taken,  if  the  latter  substance  be  used,  to  see  that  no  fire  is  present.  If 
the  invasion  be  discovered  at  the  very  outset,  it  may  be  stopped  by 
spraying  the  sides  of  the  house  very  liberally  with  kerosene  or  by  treat- 
ing the  surrounding  lawns  with  a  spray  of  kerosene  emulsion. 

C.  L.  M. 


Fig.  ld.—Bryobia  pratensis:  Newly- 
hatched  larva  —  greatly  enlarged 
(from  Riley  and  Marlatt). 


THE  HOUSE  CRICKET. 


{Gryllus  domesiicus  Linn.) 

No  insect  inhabitants  of  dwellings  are  better  known  than  the  domestic 
or  hearth  crickets,  not  so  much  from  observation  of  the  insects  them- 
selves as  from  familiarity  with  their  vibrant,  shrilling  soug  notes, 
which,  while  thoroughly  inharmonious  in  themselves,  are,  partly  from 
the  difficulty  in  locating  the  songster,  often  given  a  superstitious  sig- 
nificance and  taken,  according  to  the  mood  of  the  listener,  to  be  either 


HOUSE    FLIES,  CENTIPEDES,   AM)    OTHER    INSECTS. 


a  harbinger  of  good  and  indicative  of  cheerfulness  and  plenty,  or  to 
give  rise  to  melancholy  and  to  betoken  misfortune.  The  former  idea 
prevails,  however,  and  Cowper  expresses  the  common  belief  that  the — 

Sounds  inharmonious  in  themselves  and  harsh, 
Yel  heard  in  scenes  where  peace  forever  reigns, 
And  only  there,  please  highly    !<»r  their  sake. 

The  common  name  "cricket''  is  descriptive  of  its  cheerful,  chirping 
note,  and  is  derived  from  the  imitative  French  popular  name  ucricri" 
(from  eriquer).  Similar  descriptive  names  arc  applied  t<>  it  in  many 
foreign  tongues. 

The  introduction  of  the  domestic  cricket  of  Europe  into  America 
was  probably  at  a  very  early  date,  at  least  in  portions  of  the  country. 
Kalm,  a  careful  and  scientific  observer,  writing  in  1749  of  this  insect, 
snys  that  they  are  " abundant  in  Canada, 
especially  in  the  country,  where  these  dis- 
agreeable guests  lodge  in  the  chimneys; 
nor   are   they   uncommon   in    the   towns. 
They  stay  here  both  summer  and  winter, 
and  frequently  cut  clothes  in  pieces  for 
pastime."    The  year  before,  however,  he 
writes  that  he  had  not  met  with  them  in 
any  of  the  houses  in   Pennsylvania  or 
New  Jersey.1 

The  occurrence  of  this  insect  in  ( lanada 
in  comparative  abundance  has  since  been 
confirmed  by  Provancher  and  Gaulfield, 
and  in  various  Eastern  towns  in  the 
United  Statesby  ("lder. (  Hover. and  others. 
It  has  also  been  observed  in  various  States 

westward  to  and  beyond  the  Mississippi.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  at 
all  common  on  this  continent,  however,  except  in  Canada,* and  the  more 
familiar  insect  to  most  Americans  is  one  or  other  of  our  brownish  black 
field  crickets,  which  often  enter  houses  and  accommodate  themselves 
to  domesticity  almost  as  completely  as  the  true  European  hearth 
cricket.  Our  native  crickets  are  more  robust  and  of  larger  size,  but 
present  the  same  tendency  of  location  and  food  habits  as  their  Euro- 
pean relatives.  A  species  |  Gryllvs  amtimilis  Fab.)  often  found  in 
houses  in  Washington  is  represented  in  fig.  21.  The  following  account 
of  the  imported  domestic  cricket  applies  in  the  main  also  to  any  of  our 
native  species  which  are  acquiring  domesticity.  Our  species  are,  how- 
ever, not  known  to  breed  in  houses,  although  it  is  nor  at  all  improb- 
able that  this  is  now  occasionally  tine  of  some  of  them. 

The  house  cricket  belongs  to  the  jumping  or  saltatorial  family  of  the 
Orthoptera,  being  closely  allied  to  the  common  field  crickets  and  the 
curious  mole  cricket.     The  normal  mode  of  progression  is  by  a  series  of 


Fig.  2b.—Gryllus(iomesHcu*i   « .  male; 
i>.  female — natural  Bize  (original). 


'Travels,  Vol.  1.  |».  318;   il.  i>.  256. 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


leaps,  fche  bind  femora  being  greatly  thickened  and  enlarged,  kangaroo- 
like.  In  color  the  house  cricket  is  light  yellowish-brown,  and  its  squarish 
body  and  spherical  head  are  very  characteristic.  Theantenme  or  feelers 
are  very  long  and  thread-like,  exceeding  the  body  in  length. 

The  chirping  song  of  the  cricket  is  produced  only  by  the  male,  and 
is  supposed  to  be  a  love  call.  If  so,  it  has  been  pointed  out  that  it 
evidently  "betokens,  on  account  of  its  long  continuance,  a  patient  per- 
sistence which  deserves  the  highest  encomium.  It  is  produced  by  the 
friction  or  stridulation  of  the  upper  wings  over  each  other.  At  the 
base  of  each  of  these  wings  is  a  large  talc-like  spot — the  crepitaculum — 

which  is  characterized  by 
its  inflated  appearance 
and  its  very  coarse,  irreg- 
ular veining.  By  rasping 
or  scraping  the  file-like 
under  surface  of  one  wing- 
over  the  roughening  of  the 
other  the  vibrant  note  of 
the  cricket  is  produced. 
The  song  is,  therefore, 
analogous  to  that  made 
by  an  instrument  rather 
than  to  the  voiceor  sounds 
of  higher  animals.  To  be 
at  all  significant  to  the  in- 
sect, however,  it  must  be 
heard,  and  what  seems  to 
be  the  insect  ear  is  found 
in  curious  organs  on  the 
fore  tibiae,  represented  in 
the  illustration  (fig.  21, 
c,d,e,f). 

The  house  cricket  usu- 
ally occurs  on  the  ground 
floor  of  dwellings,  and 
evinces  its  liking  for  warmth  by  often  occurring  in  the  vicinity  of 
lire] daces,  concealing  itself  between  the  bricks  of  chimneys  or  behind 
baseboards,  frequently  burrowing  into  the  mortar  of  walls.  It  is  par- 
ticularly apt  to  abound  in  bakehouses.  It  is  rarely  very  abundant, 
but  at  times  multiplies  excessively  and  becomes  a  very  serious  nuisance. 
During  cold  weather,  or  in  cold  rooms  in  winter,  it  remains  torpid,  but 
under  the  influence  of  warmth  it  becomes  active  and  musical.  It  is 
easily  kept  in  captivity  as  a  pet,  and  will  reward  the  possessor  by 
furnishing  an  abundance  of  its  peculiar  melody,  and  in  Spain  it  is  often 
kept,  it  is  reported,  in  cages,  as  we  do  singing  birds.  It  is  in  the  main 
nocturnal  in  its  habits,  coming  out  in  the  dusk  of  evening  and  roaming 


Fig.  21. —  Oryllus  assimilis:  a,  female;  &,  male 
inner  and  onter  views  showing  drams  of  car 
or  tympana— enlarged  (original). 


c,  (/,  fore  tibiae, 
e  and  /",  drums 


HOUSE    FLIES,   CENTIPEDES,    AND    OTHER    INSECTS. 


55 


;jl>out  the  house  for  whatever  food  materials  it  may  discover.     It  feeds 

readily  on  bread  crumbs  or  almost  any  food  product  to  which  it  can 
get  access,  and  is  particularly  attracted  to  liquids,  in  its  eagerness  to 
get  at  which  it  often  meets  death  by  drowning.     It  is  a  very  pugnacious 

insect  and  will  bite  vigorously  if  captured,  and  is  also  predaceous  or 
carnivorous,  like  most  of  its  outdoor  allies.  It  is  supposed  to  feed  on 
various  other  house  insects,  such  as  the  cockroach  and  is  also  probably 
cannibalistic.  A  pair  of  a  native  species  kept  in  a  cage  by  the  writer, 
for  a  short  period  manifested  the  greatest  friendliness,  hut  the  male 
shortly  afterwards  made  a  very  substantial  meal  of  his  companion. 

The  crickets,  in  common  with  most  other  Orthoptera,  will  occasion- 
ally, in  pure  wantonness  seemingly,  cut  and  injure  fabrics,  and  are 
particularly  apt  to  cut  into  wet  clothing,  evidently  from  their  liking 
for  moisture.  Any  of  the 
common  held  grasshop- 
pers or  crickets,  entering 
houses,  are  apt  to  try 
their  sharp  jaws  on  cur- 
tains, garments,  etc.,  and 
Dr.  J.  A.Lintner  records1 
the  case  of  a  suit  of  cloth- 
ing just  from  the  tailor 
which  was  completely 
ruined  in  a  night  by 
a  common  black  field 
cricket  {Gryllusluctuosus), 
which  had  entered  an  open 
window  in  some  numbers. 
There  is  a  popular  super- 
stition also  to  the  effect 
that  it'  a  cricket  be  killed  its  relatives  will  promptly  cut  the  garments 
of  t  lie  offender. 

In  Europe,  and  undoubtedly  also  in  this  country,  the  hearth  cricket 
is  found  in  houses  in  all  sizes,  from  the  very  young  to  the  full-grown 
insects,  and  probably  often  deposits  its  eggs  and  goes  through  its 
entire  transformations  within  the  four  walls  of  dwellings.  In  summer 
it  also  appears  frequently  out  of  doors  in  Europe  about  hedges  and  in 
gardens,  returning  to  the  house  for  protection  at  the  approach  of  cold 
weather,  ami  being  apparently  unable  to  winter  out  of  doors,  a;  Least 
in  cold  climates.  !n  this  country  it  has  been  taken  at  electric  lights 
out  of  doors.  Its  eggs,  judging  from  our  knowledge  of  allied  species, 
are  deposited  in  clusters,  and  the  young  resemble  their  parents  very 
closely,  except  in  size  and  in  lacking  wings:  they  present  also  no 
variation  in  habit. 

So  much  superstition  and   popular  interest   attaches  t<»  the  house 


FlO.  22.—  Gri/llus  assimilis.-  a,  wing  of  female:  b.  wing  of 
male  showing  more  irregular  and  coarser  veining — enlarged 
(original). 


8th  Rept.  Ins.  X.  ^»  ..  i».  IT'.' 


56  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

cricket  thai  frequently  there  is  a  strong  feeling  against  destroying  it; 
and  to  many  it  is  a  pleasant  incentive  to  revery,  filling  the  mind  with 
pleasant  contemplations,  and  perhaps  hilling  the  wakeful  to  restful 
sleep.  ^Not  to  all,  however,  does  it  appeal  iu  this  way,  and  for  those 
to  whom  its  notes  are  rasping  and  irritating,  and  who  fear  for  the 
safety  of  their  garments,  or  are  otherwise  evilly  disposed  toward  it, 
the  following  methods  of  control  will  be  of  interest: 

It  may  be  readily  destroyed  by  taking  advantage  of  its  liking  for 
liquids,  and  any  vessel  containing  beer  or  other  liquid  placed  about 
will  usually  result  in  crickets  being  collected  and  drowned  iu  numbers. 
It  may  also  be  destroyed  by  the  distribution  of  uncooked  vegetables, 
such  as  ground-up  carrots  or  potatoes,  strongly  poisoned  with  arsenic. 
In  the  use  of  poisoned  baits  in  dwellings  great  care,  however,  should 
always  be  exercised. 

C.  L.  M. 

THE  PAPER  WASP. 

( Vespa  f/ermanica  Fab.) 

It  frequently  happens,  more  particularly  in  suburban  places  and  in 
the  country,  that  the  common  yellow  jackets  or  paper  wasps,  notably 
Vespa  germanica  Yob.,  will  have  their  nests  near  dwellings  and  mul- 
tiply to  such  an  extent  as  to  become  serious  nuisances  about  houses,  to 
which  they  are  attracted  by  the  moisture  about  wells  or  to  fruit  refuse. 
Under  these  circumstances  they  become  a  source  of  some  danger  from 
the  liability  of  their  stinging  horses.  Unless  houses  are  carefully 
screened  they  will  frequently  be  attracted  into  them  in  considerable 
numbers,  and  on  account  of  their  pugnacious  disposition  render  meal 
taking  a  proceeding  of  considerable  risk.  They  have  a  great  fondness 
for  all  sweetened  liquids  and  will  swarm  over  fruit,  especially  melons. 

The  species  most  apt  to  be  annoying  in  houses  in  the  East  is  the  one 
mentioned  at  the  head  of  this  article.  It  is  of  European  origin,  and, 
like  many  other  introduced  animals,  as  the  English  sparrow,  for  exam- 
ple, has  become  even  more  numerous  in  its  new  home  than  in  its  old. 
It  sometimes  nests  in  trees  in  Europe,  but  in  this  country  commonly 
dwells  in  large  underground  colonies  located  usually  only  a  few  inches 
below  the  surface,  and  often  in  the  deserted  nests  of  field  mice,  which 
have  been  cleaned  out  and  greatly  enlarged  by  their  insect  tenants. 

The  nest  consists  of  a  loose  papery  envelope,  Avithin  which  are  from 
four  to  eight  stories  or  tiers  of  combs,  attached  to  each  other  with  strong 
central  supports.  The  largest  combs  sometimes  have  a  diameter  of  12 
inches  and  the  larger  nests  a  capacity  of  upward  of  one-half  bushel. 
Throughout  the  summer  a  colony  contains,  in  addition  to  the  queen 
mother,  workers  only.  The  perfectly  sexed  individuals,  females  or 
queens  and  males,  appear  only  in  the  fall,  usually  in  September,  are 
much  larger  than  the  workers,  and  are  reared  in  special  cells  of  large 
size  in  the  undermost  or  last  constructed  of  the  combs. 


HOUSE   FLIES,  CENTIPEDES,  AND    OTHER    tNSECTS.  57 

With  the  approach  of  cold  weather  the  nests  are  abandoned,  most 

of  the  individuals,  including  all  the  workers  and  males,  perishing,  and 
only  the  penect  females,  the  product  of  the  last  fall  brood,  wintering 
over.  Early  in  spring  these  over- wintered  females  come  out  of  the 
cracks  in  logsor  holes  in  walls,  etc.,  in  which  they  have  hibernated,  and 
unaided  originate  new  colonies  of  workers,  which  by  midsummer  often 
contain  20,000  or  more  individuals.  No  honey,  wax,  or  pollen  is  stored 
in  the  nests,  but  the  young  are  fed  by  the  workers  on  a  liquid  derived 
from  insects  or  other  substances  eaten. 

The  paper  wasps  have  a  number  of  natural  enemies.  They  are  cap- 
tured and  devoured  by  two  species  of  robber  flies,  and  in  addition  their 
underground  nests,  as  I  am  informed  by  woodmen,  are  frequently  dug 
out  by  foxes  and  skunks,  which  Iced  on  the  larvae  and  pupae  contained 
in  them. 

The  best  means  of  abating  the  wasp  nuisance  is  to  discover  the  nest 
and  destroy  the  inmates.  Ordinarily  by  watching  individual  wasps  the 
nest  can  be  located,  and  the  introduction  of  a  few  spoonfuls  of  chloro- 
form or  bisulphide  of  carbon  into  the  entrance,  after  all  have  come  in  for 
the  night,  will  suffice  to  destroy  the  inhabitants. 

Other  Vespas,  especially  the  common  bald-faced  hornet  (  Vespamacu- 
lata  Linn.),  which  builds  large  paper  nests  in  trees,  also  enter  houses, 
but  not  so  abundantly  as  tbe  small  yellow  and  black  soecies referred  to. 
The slenderyello wish  brown  wasps  Polistes spp.),  which  build  uncovered 
combs  attached  to  rafters  and  in  trees,  are  also  frequent  visitors  in 
houses,  but  are  not  so  pugnacious  and  will  rarely  attack  anyone  unless 
they  are  accidentally  taken  bold  of  or  their  nests  disturbed.  All  of  these 
wasps  are  of  more  or  less  service  to  housekeepers  in  that  they  are 
active  enemies  of  the  common  house  fly. 

C.  L.  M. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SPECIES    INJURIOUS   TO    WOOLEN    GOODS,    CLOTHING,    CARPETS, 

UPHOLSTERY,  ETC. 


By  L.  O.  Howard  and  ('.  L.  Marlatt. 

THE  CARPET  BEETLE,   OR  "BUFFALO  MOTH." 

(Anthrenus  serophularice  Linn.) 

All  the  year  round,  in  well  heated  houses,  but  more  frequently  in 
summer  and  fall,  an  active  brown  larv-a  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  less  in 
length  and  clothed  with  stiff  brown  hairs,  which  are  longer  around  the 
sides  and  still  longer  at  the  ends  than  on  the  back,  feeds  upon  carpets 
and  woolen  goods,  working  in  a  hidden  manner  from  the  under  surface, 
sometimes  making  irregular  holes,  but  more  frequently  following  the 
line  of  a  floor  crack  and  cutting  long  slits  in  a  carpet. 


'V;.  '23. — Anthremtft  scroplmla rice : 
view : 


a,  larva,  dorsal  view;  //.  pupa  within  larval  skin;  c,  pupa,  ventral 
d,  adult — all  enlarged — (from  Riley). 


This  insect  in  the  United  States  is  known  as  a  carpet  beetle  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  country  only.  Beginning  with  Massachusetts,  it 
extends  west  to  Kansas.  It  is  not  known  as  a  carpet  beetle  in  Wash- 
ington  or  Baltimore,  and  is  not  common  in  Philadelphia,  but  abounds 
in  New  York,  Boston,  all  the  New  England  States,  and  west  through 
Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Kansas.  It  is 
originally  a,  European  insect  and  is  found  in  all  parts  of  Europe.  It 
was  imported  into  this  country  about  1874,  probably  almost  simultane- 
ously at  New  York  and  Boston.  It  has  long  been  known  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  but  not,  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  in -the  role  of  a  carpet  enemy. 

The  adult  insect  is  a  small,  broad-oval  beetle,  about  three-sixteenths 
of  an  inch  long,  black  in  color,  but  is  covered  with  exceedingly  minute 
scales,  which  give  it  a  marbled  black-and-white  appearance.     It  also 

58 


SPECIES    INJURIOUS    TO    WOOLEN    GOODS,  ETC.  50 

has  ii  red  stripe  down  the  middle  of  t  he  back,  widening  into  projections 
at  three  intervals.  When  disturbed  it  "plays  'possum,"  folding  up  its 
legs  and  antenna}  and  feigning  death.  A.s  a  general  thing  the  beetles 
begin  to  appear  in  the  fall,  and  continue  to  issue,  in  heated  houses, 
throughout  the  winter  and  following  spring.  Soon  niter  issuing  they 
pair,  and  the  females  lay  their  eggs  in  convenient  spots.  The  eggs 
hatch,  under  favorable  conditions,  in  a  \\>\y  days,  and  the  larvae,  with 
plenty  of  food,  develop  quite  rapidly.  Their  development  is  retarded 
by  cold  weather  or  lack  of  food,  and  they  remain  alive  in  the  larval 
state,  in  such  conditions,  and  particularly  in  a  dry  atmosphere,  lor  an 
almost  indefinite  period,  molting  frequently  and  feeding  upon  their  east 
skins.  Under  normal  conditions,  however,  the-  skin  is  cast  about  six 
times,  and  there  is,  probably,  in  the  North,  not  more  than  two  annual 
generations.  When  the  larva  reaches  full  growth  the  yellowish  pupa 
is  formed  within  the  last  larval  skin.  Eventually  thisskiu  splits  down 
the  back  and  reveals  the  pupa,  from  which  the  beetle  emerges  later. 
The  beetles  are  day  fliers,  and  when  not  engaged  in  egg  laying  are 
attracted  to  t  he  light.  They  fly  to  the  windows,  and  may  often  be  found 
upon  the  sills  or  panes.  Where  they  can  fly  out  through  an  open  window 
they  do  so,  and  are  strongly  attracted  to  the  flowers  of  certain  plaids, 
particularly  the  family  Scrophulariaceae,  but  also  tocertain  ( 'ompositae, 
snch  as  milfoil  (Achillea  millefolium).  The  flowers  of  Spiraea  are  also 
strongly  attractive  to  the  beetles.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  this 
migration  from  the  house  takes  place,  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
after  the  eggs  have  been  laid. 

In  Europe  the  insect  is  not  especially  noted  as  a  household  pest,  and 
we  are  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  carpets  are 
little  used.  In  fact,  we  believe  that  only  where  carpets  are  extensively 
used  are  the  conditions  favorable  for  the  great  increase  of  the  insect. 
Carpets  once  put  down  are  seldom  taken  up  for  a  year,  and  in  the 
meantime  the  insect  develops  uninterruptedly.  Where  polished  floors 
and  rugs  are  wsi'd  the  rugs  are  often  taken  up  and  beaten,  and  in  the 
same  way  woolens  and  furs  are  never  allowed  to  remain  undisturbed 
for  an  entire  year.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  carpet  habit  is  a 
bad  one  from  other  points  of  view,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  if  car- 
pets were  more  generally  discarded  in  our  more  Northern  States  the 
"buffalo  bug"  would  gradually  cease  lobe  the  household  pest  thai  it 
is  to-day.  The  insect  is  known  in  Europe  as  a  museum  pest,  but  lias 
not  acquired  this  habit  to  any  great  extent  in  this  country.  It  is 
known  to  have  this  habit  in  Cambridge,  Mass..  and  Detroit.  Mich.,  as 
well  as  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  but  not  in  other  localities.  In  allot 
these  three  cases  it  had  been  imported  from  Europe  in  insect  collections. 

REMEDIES. 

There  is  no  easy  way  to  keep  tin'  carpet  beetle  in  check.  When  it 
has  once  taken  possession  of  a  house  nothing  but   the  most  thorough 


60  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

and  Long- continued  measures  will  eradicate  it.  The  practice  of  annual 
house  cleaning,  so  often  carelessly  and  hurriedly  performed,  is,  as  we 
have  shown  above,  peculiarly  favorable  to  the  development  of  the 

insect.  Two  house  cleanings  would  be  better  than  one,  and  if  but  one, 
it  would  be  better  to  undertake  it  in  midsummer  than  at  any  other  time 
of  the  year.  Where  convenience  or  conservatism  demands  an  adher- 
ence to  the  old  custom,  however,  we  have  simply  to  insist  upon  extreme 
thoroughness  and  a  slight  variation  in  the  customary  methods.  The 
rooms  should  be  attended  to  one  or  two  at  a  time.  The  carpets  should 
be  taken  up,  thoroughly  beaten,  and  sprayed  out  of  doors  with  ben- 
zine, and  allowed  to  air  for  several  hours.  The  rooms  themselves  should 
be  thoroughly  swept  and  dusted,  the  floors  washed  down  with  hot  water, 
the  cracks  carefully  cleaned  out,  and  kerosene  or  benzine  poured  into 
the  cracks  and  sprayed  under  the  baseboards.  The  extreme  inflamma- 
bility of  benzine,  and  even  its  vapor  when  confined,  should  be  remem- 
bered and  fire  carefully  guarded  against.  Where  the  floors  are  poorly 
constructed  and  the  cracks  are  wide  it  will  be  a  good  idea  to  fill  the 
cracks  with  plaster  of  paris  in  a  liquid  state;  this  will  afterwards  set 
and  lessen  the  number  of  harboring  places  for  the  insect.  Before  relay- 
ing the  carpet  tarred  roofing  paper  should  be  laid  upon  the  floor,  at 
least  around  the  edges,  but  preferably  over  the  entire  surface,  and  when 
the  carpet  is  relaid  it  will  be  well  to  tack  it  down  rather  lightly,  so  that 
it  can  be  occasionally  lifted  at  the  edges  and  examined  for  the  presence 
of  the  insect.  Later  in  the  season,  if  such  an  examination  shows  the 
insect  to  have  made  its  appearance,  a  good  though  somewhat  laborious 
remedy  consists  in  laying  a  damp  cloth  smoothly  over  the  suspected 
spot  of  the  carpet  and  ironing  it  with  a  hot  iron.  The  steam  thus  gen- 
erated will  pass  through  the  carpet  and  kill  the  insects  immediately 
beneath  it. 

The  measures  used  in  the  care  of  furs,  rugs,  and  woolen  goods  gen- 
erally to  prevent  the  work  o£  this  insect  during  the  summer  are  prac- 
tically identical  with  those  recommended  for  the  clothes  moths, 
elsewhere  mentioned.  The  most  perfect  and  simplest  is  storage  at  a 
temperature  of  from  40  to  413°  F.  For  the  cheaper  methods  the  reader 
is  referred  to  the  chapter  on  clothes  moths. 

These  strenuous  measures,  if  persisted  in,  are  the  only  hope  of  the 
good  housekeeper,  so  long  as  the  system  of  heavy  carpets  covering  the 
cut  ire  floor  surface  is  adhered  to.  Good  housekeepers  are  conservative 
people,  but  we  expect  eventually  to  see  a  more  general  adoption  of  the 
rug  or  of  the  square  of  carpet,  which  may  at  all  times  be  readily  exam- 
ined and  treated  if  found  necessary.  Where  the  floors  are  bad  the 
practice  of  laying  straw  mattings  under  the  rugs  produces  a  sightly 
appearance,  ami,  while  not  as  cleanly  as  a  bare  floor,  affords  still  fewer 
harboring  places  for  this  insect. 

L.  O.  H. 


SPECIES    INJURIOUS     l- 


E.\    GOODS,   ET 


<;i 


THE  BLACK  CARPET  BEETLE 

.  i ttnifrini.s  picew  Oliv. 

This  carpel  beetle  occurs  in  genera]  in  the  same  sit  mil  ions  in  which 
the  preceding  species  is  found.  The  larva  is  an  active,  light-brown, 
somewhat  cylindrical  creature,  dot  lied  with  closely  appressed  hairs, 
and  with  a  long  terminal  tuft  of  hairs  at  the  end  of  the  body.  It  is 
readily  distinguished  from  the  so-called  "buffalo  moth"*  by  its  shape 
and  in  general  by  its  lighter  color.  It  is  not  so  fond  of  working  in 
cracks  and  cutting  long  slits  in  carpets,  and  in  general  is  not  so  dan- 
gerous a  species  as  the  other. 

This  insect  has  been  a  denizen  of  the  United  States  certainly  since 
1854.  If  is  widespread  in  Europe  and  Asia,  and  first  attracted  atten- 
tion as  a  carper  insect  in  this  country  in  1871*,  when  Dr.  Lintner  found 


Pio. 24. — Attagentu piceus :  ",  larva;  i>.  pupa;  c,  adult:  <l.  dorsal  abdominal  Begmenta  ofpWpa;  above, 
at  left,  mali- and  female  antennae— all  enlarged  (original). 

it  in  connection  with  the  "buffalo  moth"  at  Schenectady,  X.  Y.  It  had 
previously  heen observed  by  Hagen  in  <  iambridge, in  the  Museum  of  Nat 
ural  History,  at  an  early  date,  and  had  been  found  in  feathers  by  Walsh. 
Since  L880  it  has  become  very  abundant  in  Washington,  I>.  C,  and 
here  takes  the  place  of  Anthrenus  scrophularice.  It  has  been  received 
at  the  division  of  entomology  from  Goftstown,  N.  11.;  Hartford.  Conn.; 
New  York  City,  Lawrence,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.:  Washington  ami  Cha- 
grin Falls,  Ohio;  Detroit,  Agricultural  College,  Charlotte,  and  Drain, 
Mich.;  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Wadestown,  \V.  Va.,  and  Memphis,  Tenn. 
From  hearsay  information  the  writer  believes  that  it  i^  also  more 
or  less  abundant  in  houses  in  Charleston.  S.  C..  Savannah.  C.a..  and 
Jacksonville.  Fla. 
The  adult  insect  is  a  small,  oval,  black  beetle  of  the  general  appearance 


G2  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

indicated  in  the  figure.  It  is  readily  distinguished  from  Anthrenus 
8crophularice.  Its  natural  history  has  not  been  studied  in  detail,  but 
there  is  little  doubt  that  it  is  similar  to  that  of  the  other  species.  It 
seems  to  have  a  particular  predilection  for  feathers  and  has  several 
times  been  observed  to  produce  in  feather  beds  a  peculiar  felting  of  the 
ticking.  It  has  also  been  known  to  infest  flour  mills  and  is  to  a  certain 
extent  a  feeder  upon  cereal  products.  It  is  a  museum  pest  of  consid- 
erable importance,  and,  in  fact,  when  first  discovered  in  connection 
with  the  Anthrenus,  by  Dr.  Lintner,  it  was  supposed  to  be  present 
around  the  margin  of  carpets  simply  in  search  of  dead  flies  and  other 
animal  matter,  such  as  cast  skins  of  Anthrenus,  etc.  In  1878  Dr.  Hagen 
stated  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History  that 
during  late  years  this  insect  had  propagated  to  a  fearful  extent  in  many 
houses  in  Cambridge,  and  that  he  believed  it  to  be  responsible  for  fully 
half  of  all  the  destruction  ascribed  to  the  previous  species.  In  the 
arranged  collection  of  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  it  occurred 
only  rarely,  and  Dr.  Hagen  always  found  a  crack  or  a  slit  in  the  infested 
box  through  which  the  thin  and  slender  young  larva  had  entered.  The 
insect,  he  said,  could  always  be  recognized  by  the  small,  globular,  ocher- 
ous  excrement.  Mr.  Schwarz,  writing  in  1890,  spoke  of  the  recent 
increase  in  numbers  of  this  insect  in  Washington,  D.  C.  As  a  museum 
pest  he  had  found  it  frequently  in  insect  boxes  which  were  not  quite 
tight,  but,  fortunately,  this  species  does  not  seem  to  be  able  to  enter 
through  as  small  a  crack  as  Anthrenus  or  Trogoderma.  In  January, 
1892,  Mrs.  Horace  French,  of  Elgin,  Kane  County,  111.,  wrote  us  that 
many  houses  in  Elgin  were  infested  both  by  this  species  and  by  the 
buffalo  carpet  beetle.  The  black  carpet  beetle,  however,  seemed,  accord- 
ing to  the  correspondent,  to  work  constantly  through  the  year,  unmind- 
ful of  change  of  temperature,  while  the  other  species  did  little  damage 
except  during  the  warmer  months.  Her  own  house  was  completely 
overrun,  and  after  taking  up  the  carpets  and  discovering  the  full  extent 
of  their  ravages  it  was  deemed  unsafe  to  replace  them. 

Until  recently  we  had  made  but  one  attempt  to  follow  out  the  detailed 
life  history.  This  was  in  June,  1882,  when  the  beetle  seemed  to  be 
especially  numerous,  flying  into  the  open  windows  of  the  office.  A  num- 
ber Avere  placed  June  20  in  a  jar  with  pieces  of  rag.  On  June  23  six 
eggs  were  found  to  have  been  deposited,  three  of  which  were  already 
much  shriveled,  apparently  not  fertilized.  The  color  of  the  eggs  was 
white  and  they  were  extremely  soft  and  of  broad  oval  shape,  with  irreg- 
ular striate  sculpturing,  like  the  markings  on  the  palm  of  one's  hand. 
No  further  eggs  were  deposited  and  those  previously  laid  did  not  hatch. 

Quite  recently,  in  the  course  of  his  studies  of  insects  injurious  to 
stored  food,  Mr.  Chittenden,  of  this  office,  has  many  times  met  with 
the  larva  of  this  species  in  seeds  and  other  vegetable  products  in  the 
museum  of  the  Department.  He  has  shown  that  the  larva  will  breed 
successfully  from  the  egg  in  flour  and  meal.     Incidentally,  he  observed 


SPECIES    IN.U'RIOUS    TO    WOOLEN    GOODS,   ETC. 


63 


that  the  beetles  begin  to  appear  in  houses  in  Washington,  D.O.,as 
parly  as  the  last  of  April  and  occurin  the  greatesl  numbers  during  the 
hot  spells  late  in  May  and  early  in  June.  By  the  middle  of  June  their 
numbers  become  less.  Beginning  on  May  6,  beetles  were  placed  from 
time  to  time  into  a  jar  with  woolen  cloth.  On  dime  l.">  certain  Larvae 
measuring  about  1  nun.  in  length  were  found.  A  year  from  the  placing 
of  the  first  beetles  in  the  jar  the  Largesl  larva*  were  found  to  be  only 
4.5  mm.  long.  Isolated  full-grown  larva  were  several  times  observed 
to  pupate,  with  the  result  that  the  pupal  stage  was  found  to  last  from 
six  to  fifteen  days.  In  Mr.  Chittenden's  experiments  in  rearing  this 
insect  two  years  were  required  for  its  development  from  eggto  beetle. 

REMEDIES. 

Owing  to  the  similarity  of  habits,  the  same  remedies  may  be  used 
Against  this  insect  as  against  the  buffalo  carpel    beetle.     Not  with 
standing  Mrs.  French's  experience  to  the  contrary,  we  do  not  consider 

it  as  serious  a  household  pest  as  the  other  species. 

J,.  O.   II. 


THE    CLOTHES    MOTHS. 
(Tinea  pellionella,  <t  al.) 

The  destructive  work  of  the  larva-  of  the  small  moths  commonly 
known  as  clothes  moths,  and  also  as  carpet  moths.  I'm-  moths,  etc.,  in 
woolen  fabrics,  fur,  and  similar  material,  during  the  warm  months  of 
summer  in  the  North, 
and  in  the  South  at  any 
season,  is  an  altogether 
too  common  experi- 
ence. The  preference 
they  so  often  show  for 
woolen  or  fur  garments 
gives  these  insects  a 
much  more  general  in- 
terest than  is  perhaps 
true  of  any  other  house- 
hold pe>t.  Not  only 
are  they  a  pest  to  the 
good  housekeeper,  but  the  bachelor,  whose  interest  in  domestic  mat 
ters  might  otherwise  remain  ;M  a  low  el>l>.  knows  to  his  sorrow  of 
their  abundance  in  the  disastrous  results  of  their  presence  in  his 
wardrobe. 

The   little   yellowish    or   buff  colored     moths    sometimes   seen    Hit 
ting  about  rooms,  attracted    to  lamps  al    night  or  dislodged  from  in- 
fested garments,  are  themselves  harmless  enongh ;  in  fact  their  i ith 

parts  are   rudimentary,  and    they  can    not    enjoy  even    the  ordinary 


■Tinea  j>clli 


veUa  :  a,  adult  ;   b,  larva 

larged  (from  kil<\ ,. 


()4  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

pleasures  of  the  winged  existence  of  other  moths  in  sampling  the  nectar 
of  flowers.     It  is,  therefore,  to  the  larvae  only  that  the  destructive  work 

is  due. 
The  clothes  moths  all  belong  to  the  group  of  minute  Lepidoptera 

known  as  Tineina,  the  old  Latin  name  for  cloth  worms  of  all  sorts,  and 
are  characterized  by  very  narrow  wings,  fringed  with  long-  hairs.  The 
common  species  of  clothes  moths  have  been  associated  with  man  from 
the  earliest  times  and  are  thoroughly  cosmopolitan.  They  are  all  prob- 
ably of  Old  World  origin,  none  of  them  being  indigenous  to  tbe  United 
States.  That  they  Avere  well  known  to  the  ancients  is  shown  by  Job's 
reference  to  "  a  garment  that  is  moth  eaten,"  and  Pliny  has  given  such 
an  accurate  description  of  one  of  them  as  to  lead  to  the  easy  identifica- 
tion of  the  species.  That  they  were  early  introduced  into  the  United 
States  is  shown  by  Pehr  Kalm,  the  Swedish  scientist  whom  we  have 
previously  quoted  and  who  seemed  to  take  a  keen  interest  in  house  pests, 
lie  reported  these  Tineids  to  be  abundant  in  1748  in  Philadelphia, 
then  a  straggling  village,  and  says  that  clothes,  worsted  gloves,  and 
other  woolen  stuffs  hung  up  all  summer  were  often  eaten  through  and 
through  by  the  worms,  and  furs  were  so  ruined  that  the  hair  would 
come  off  in  handfuls.1 

What  led  to  the  first  association  of  these  and  other  household  pests 
with  man  is  an  interesting  problem.  In  the  case  of  the  clothes  moths, 
the  larva*,  of  all  of  which  can,  in  case  of  necessity,  still  subsist  on 
almost  any  dry  animal  matter,  their  early  association  with  man  was 
probably  in  the  role  of  scavengers,  and  in  prehistoric  times  they  proba- 
bly fed  on  waste  animal  material  about  human  habitations  and  on  fur 
garments.  The  fondness  they  exhibit  nowadays  for  tailor-made  suits 
and  expensive  products  of  the  loom  is  simply  an  illustration  of  their 
ability  to  keep  pace  with  man  in  his  development  in  the  matter  of 
clothing  from  the  skin  garments  of  savagery  to  the  artistic  products 
of  the  modern  tailor  and  dressmaker. 

Three  common  destructive  species  of  clothes  moths  occur  in  this 
couutry.  Much  confusion,  however,  exists  in  all  the  early  writings 
on  these  insects,  all  three  species  beiug  inextricably  mixed  in  the 
descriptions  and  accounts  of  habits.  Collections  of  these  moths  were 
submitted  some  years  ago  by  Professors  Fernald  and  Eiley  to  Lord 
Walsingham,  of  Merton  Hall,  England,  the  world's  authority  on 
Tineids,  and  from  the  hitter's  careful  diagnosis  it  is  now  possible  to 
easily  separate  and  recognize  the  diffent  species. 

The  common  injurious  clothes  moths  are  the  case-making  species 
(Tinea pellionella  Linn.),  the  webbing  species  or  Southern  clothes  moth 
(Tineola  biselliella  Hummel),  and  the  gallery  species  or  tapestry  moth 
(Trichophaga  twpetzella  Linn.). 

A  few  other    species  which  normally  infest   animal  products  may 


1  Kalm's  Travels,  Vol.  I,  p.  317. 


H5 

occasionally  also  injure  woolens,  but  arc  not  <>f  sufficient  importance  t<> 
be  here  noted. 

The  case-making  clothes  moth  (Tinea  j>rlli<>n<ll<t  Linn.)  (fig.  25)  is 
the  only  species  which  constructs  for  it^  protection  ;i  true  transport- 
able case.  It  was  characterized  by  Linnaeus  and  carefully  studied  by 
Reaumur  early  in  the  last  century.  It-  more  interesting  habits  have 
caused  it  to  be  often  a  subject  of  investigation,  and  its  life  history  will 
serve  to  illustrate  the  habits  of  all  the  clothes  moths. 

The  moth  expands  about  halt*  an  inch,  or  from  10  to  II  nun.  Its  head 
and  forewings  are  grayish  yellow,  with  indistinct  fuscous  spots  on  the 
middle  of  the  wings.  The  hind  wings  are  white  or  grayish  and  silky. 
It  is  the  common  species  in  the  North,  being  widely  distributed  and 
very  destructive.  Its  larva  feeds  on  woolens,  carpets,  etc..  and  is  espe- 
cially destructive  to  fins  and  feathers.  In  the  North  it  has  1  mi t  one 
annual  generation,  the  moths  appearing  from  dune  to  August,  and,  on 
the  authority  of  Professor  Fernald,  even  in  rooms  kepi  uniformly 
heated  night  and  day  it  never  occurs  in  the  larval  state  in  winter.  In 
the  South,  however,  it  appears  from  January  to  October,  and  1ms  two 
or  even  more  broods  annually. 

Pliny  says  of  its  larva  that  it  --is  clad  in  a  jacket,  gradually  forming 
for  itself  its  own  garment,  like  the  snail  in  its  shell,  and  when  this  is 
taken  from  it,  it  immediately  dies ;  but  when  its  garment  has  reached  its 
proper  dimensions  it  changes  into  a  chrysalis,  from  which,  at  the  propel 
time,  the  moth  issues." 

The  larva  is  a  dull  white  caterpillar,  with  the  head  and  the  upper 
part  of  the  next  segment  light  brown,  and  is  never  seen  free  from  its 
movable  case  or  jacket,  the  construction  of  which  is-  its  first  task.  If  it 
be  necessary  for  it  to  change  its  position,  the  head  and  fust  segment  are 
thrust  out  of  the  case,  leaving  the  thoracic  legs  free,  with  which  it 
crawls,  dragging  its  case  after  it  to  any  suitable  situation.  "With  the 
growth  of  the  larva  it  becomes  necessary  from  time  to  time  to  enlarge 
the  case  both  in  length  and  circumference,  and  this  is  accomplished  in 
a  very  interesting  way.  Without  leaving  its  case  the  larva  makes  a 
slit  halfway  down  one  side  and  inserts  a  triangular  gore  of  new  mate- 
rial. A  similar  insertion  is  made  on  the  opposite  side,  and  the  larva 
reverso  itself  without  leaving  the  case  and  makes  corresponding  slits 
and  additions  in  the  other  half.  The  case  is  lengthened  by  successive 
additions  to  either  end.  Exteriorly  the  case  appears  to  be  a  matted 
mass  of  small  particles  of  wool:  interiorly  it  is  lined  with  soft,  whitish 
silk.  By  transferring  the  larva  from  time  t<>  time  to  fabrics  of  different 
colors  the  case  maybe  math'  i<>  assume  as  varied  a  pattern  as  the 
experimenter  desires,  and  will  illustrate,  in  its  coloring,  the  peculiar 
method  of  making  th<>  enlargements  and  additions  described. 

On  reaching  full  growth  the  larva  attaches  it>  case  by  silken  threads 
to  the  garment  or  other  material  upon  which  it  has  been  feeding,  01 
sometimes  carries  it  long  distances.  In  one  instance  numbers  of  them 
L'S05— No.  1 5 


66 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS, 


were  noticed  to  have  scaled  a  15-foot  wall  to  attach  their  cases  in  an 
angle  of  the  cornice  of  the  ceiling.  It  undergoes  its  transformations 
to  the  chrysalis  within  the  larval  case,  and  under  normal  conditions  the 
moth  emerges  three  weeks  later,  the  chrysalis  having  previously  worked 
partly  out  of  the  larval  case  to  facilitate  the  escape  of  the  moth.  The 
latter  has  an  irregular  flight  and  can  also  rim  rapidly.  It  has  a  dis- 
tinct aversion  to  light  and  usually  pronrptly  conceals  itself  in  garments 
or  crevices  whenever  it  is  frightened  from  its  resting  place.  The  moths 
are  comparatively  short  lived,  not  long  surviving  the  deposition  of  their 
eggs  for  a  new  generation  of  destructive  larvae.  The  eggs  are  minute, 
not  easily  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and  are  commonly  placed  directly 
on  the  material  which  is  to  furnish  the  larvae  with  food.  In  some  cases 
they  may  be  deposited  in  the  crevices  of  trunks  or  boxes,  through  which 
the  newly  hatched  larvae  enter. 

In  working  in  feathers  this  insect  occasionally  causes  a  felting  very 

similar  to  that  produced  by  the  dermestid  beetle  Attagenus  pieeus  (p.  Gl). 

The  protection  afforded  by  the  seclusion  of  this  insect  in  houses  does 

not  prevent  its  having  insect  ene- 
mies, and  at  least  two  hymen op- 
terous  parasites  have  been  reared 
in  this  country  from  its  larval 
cases.  These  are  Hyper  a  emus 
tinew  Eiley  MS.,  and  Apanteles 
earpatus  Say,  both  reared  from 
specimens  collected  in  Michigan. 
The  webbing  or  Southern 
clothes  moth  (Tineola  biselliella 
Hummel)  (fig.  2G)  is  the  more 
abundant  aud  injurious  species  in 
the  latitude  of  Washington  and 
southward.  It  also  occurs  farther  north,  though  in  somewhat  less 
numbers  than  the  preceding  species.  It  presents  two  annual  broods 
even  in  the  Northern  States,  the  first  appearing  in  June  from  eggs 
deposited  in  May,  and  the  second  in  August  and  September.  It  is 
about  the  size  of  pellionella.  The  forewings  are,  however,  uniformly 
pale  ocherous,  without  markings  or  spots.  Its  larva  feeds  on  a  large 
variety  of  animal  substances — woolens,  hair,  feathers,  furs,  and  in  Eng- 
land it  has  even  been  observed  to  feed  on  cobwebs  in  the  corners  of 
rooms,  and  in  confinement  has  been  successfully  reared  on  this  rather 
dainty  food  substance.  The  report  that  it  feeds  on  dried  plants  in 
herbaria  is  rather  open  to  question,  as  its  other  recorded  food  materials 
are  all  of  animal  origin. 

Frequently  this  species  is  a  very  troublesome  pest  in  museums,  par- 
ticularly in  collections  of  the  large]-  moths.  Prof.  F.  M.  Webster,  of 
Wooster,  Ohio,  has  had  some  of  his  large  moths  badly  riddled  by  its 
larva^,  and  Dr.  Hagen  also  records  it  as  feeding  on  insect  collections. 


Fig.  26.— Tineola    biselliella:   moth,  larva,  cocoon 
and  empty  pupa-skin—  enlarged  (after  Eiley) 


07 


Dr.  Kiley  reared  it  in  conjunction  with  the  angoumoifl  grain  moth  8ito- 
troga  eerealella)  from  grain,  it  being  apparent  that  its  Larvae  had  sub 
sisted  on  dead  specimens  of  the  grain  moth.  It  is  very  apt  to  attack 
large  Lepidoptera  on  the  spreading  hoard,  and  has,  in  Pact,  been  carried 
through  several  generations  on  dried  specimens  of  moths. 

Its  genera]  animal  feeding  habit  is  further  indicated  by  the  interest 
ing  case  reported  by  I  >r.  J.  C.  Merrill,  I '.  S.  A.4  who  submitted  a  sample 
Can  of  beef  meal  which  had  been  rejected  as  ••  weevilly."     The  damage 

proved  to  be  due  to  the  larva-  of  Tineola  biselliella  and  goes  to  sub- 
stantiate the  theory  already  advanced  that  clothes  mot  lis  were  scaven- 
gers in  their  earliest   association  with  man. 

The  larva  of  this  moth  constructs  no  case,  but  spins  a  silky  or  more 
properly  cobwebby  path  wherever  it  goes.  When  fall  grown  it  builds 
a  cocoon  of  silk,  intermixed  with  bits  of  wool,  resembling  somewhat  the 
ease  of  pellionella,  but  more  iiregularin  outline.  Within  this  it  under 
goes  its  transformation  fco  the  chrysalis,  and  the  moth  in  emerging 
leaves  its  pupal   shell  projecting 


\ 


Trichopkaga  tapetzeUa:  adult  moth- 
enlarged  (after  Riley). 


out  of  the  cocoon,  as  with  the  pre 
ceding  species. 

The  tapestry  moth  (Trichophaga 
tapetzeUa  Linn.)  (fig.27)  is  rare  in 
the  United  States.  It  is  much 
larger  than  either  of  the  other  two 
species,  measuring  three-fourths 
inch  in  expanse  of  wings,  and  is 
more  striking  in  coloration.  The 
head  is  white,  the  basal  third  of  the  forewings  black,  with  the  exterior 
two-thirds  of  ;i  creamy  white,  more  or  less  obscured  on  the  middle  with 
gray;  the  hind  wings  are  pale  gray. 

It  normally  affects  rather  coarser  and  heavier  cloths  than  t  he  smaller 
species  and  is  more  apt  to  occur  in  carpets,  horse  blankets,  and  tapes- 
tries than  in  the  liner  and  thinner  woolen  fabrics.  It  also  affects  felting, 
furs,  and  skins,  and  is  ;i  common  source  of  damage  to  the  woolen 
upholstering  of  carriages,  being  rather  more  apt  to  occur  in  carriage 
houses  and  barns  than  indwelling  houses,  [ts  larva  enters  direct  ly  into 
the  material  which  it  infests, constructing  burrows  or  galleries  lined  more 
or  less  completely  with  silk.  Within  these  galleries  it  is  protected  and 
concealed  during  its  larval  life,  and  later  undergoes  its  transformations 
without  other  protection  than  that  afforded  by  the  gallery.  The  dam 
age  is  due  as  much  or  more  to  its  burrowing  as  to  the  actual  amount  of 
the  material  consumed  for  .food. 

One  of  the  parasites  reared  from  pellionella    Apanteles  carpatus  Saj 
has  also  been  reared  from  this  species  at  St.  Louis,  .Mo. 


68  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


REMEDIES. 

There  is  no  easy  method  of  preventing*  the  damage  done  by  clothes 
moths,  and  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  woolens  or  other  materials 
which  they  are  likely  to  attack  demands  constant  vigilance,  with  fre- 
quent inspection  and  treatment.  In  general  they  are  liable  to  affect 
injuriously  only  articles j^Jiich  are  put  away  and  left  undisturbed  for 
some  little  time.  Articles  in  daily  or  weekly  use,  and  apartments  fre- 
quently aired  and  swept,  or  used  as  living  rooms,  arc  not  apt  to  be  seri- 
ously affected.  Carpets  under  these  conditions  are  rarely  attached, 
except  sometimes  around  the  borders,  where  the  insects  are  not  so  much 
disturbed  by  walking  and  sweeping.  Agitation,  such  as  beating,  shak- 
ing or  brushing,  and  exposure  to  air  and  sunlight  are  old  remedies  and 
still  among  the  best  at  commaud.  Various  repellants,  such  as  tobacco, 
camphor,  naphthaline  cones  or  balls,  and  cedar  chips  or  sprigs,  have  a 
certain  value  if  the  garments  are  not  already  stocked  with  eggs  or 
larvae.  The  odors  of  these  repellants  are  so  disagreeable  to  the  parent 
moths  that  they  are  not  apt  to  come  to  deposit  their  eggs  as  long  as 
the  odor  is  strong.  As  it  weakens  the  protection  decreases,  and  if  the 
eggs  or  larvre  are  already  present,  these  odors  have  no  effect  on  their 
development;  while  if  the  moths  are  inclosed  with  the  stored  material 
to  be  protected  by  these  repellants,  so  that  they  can  not  escape,  they 
Avill  of  necessity  deposit  their  eggs  and  the  destructive  work  of  the 
larvae  will  be  little,  if  at  all,  restricted.  After  woolens  have  been  given 
a  vigorous  and  thorough  treatment  and  aired  and  exposed  to  sunlight, 
however,  it  is  of  some  advantage  in  packing  them  away  to  inclose  with 
them  any  of  the  repellants  mentioned.  Cedar  chests  and  wardrobes 
are  of  value  in  proportion  to  the  freedom  of  the  material  from  infesta- 
tion when  stored  away;  but  as  the  odor  of  the  wood  is  largely  lost  with 
age,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  the  protection  greatly  decreases. 
Furs  and  garments  may  also  be  stored  in  boxes  or  trunks  which  have 
been  lined  with  the  heavy  tar  paper  used  in  buildings.  Xew  papering 
should  be  given  to  such  receptacles  every  year  or  two.  Similarly,  the 
tarred-paper  moth  bags  are  of  some  value,  always,  however,  first  sub- 
jecting the  materials  to  the  treatment  outlined  above. 

To  protect  carpets,  clothes,  and  cloth-covered  furniture,  furs,  etc., 
they  should  be  thoroughly  beaten,  shaken,  brushed,  and  exposed  as 
long  as  is  practicable  to  the  sunlight  in  early  spring,  either  in  April, 
May,  or  June,  depending  on  the  latitude.  The  brushing  of  garments  is 
a  very  important  consideration,  to  remove  the  eggs  or  young  larva1, 
which  might  escape  notice.  Such  material  can  then  be  hung  away  in 
clothes  closets  which  have  been  thoroughly  cleaned  and,  if  necessary, 
sprayed  with  benzine  about  the  cracks  of  the  floor  and  the  baseboards. 
If  no  other  protection  be  given,  they  should  be  examined  at  least  once 
a  month  during  summer,  brushed,  and,  if  necessary,  exposed  to  the 
sunlight. 


69 

Tt  would  be  more  convenient,  however,  to  so  inclose  or  wrap  up  such 
material  as  to  prevent  the  access  of  the  moths  to  it,  after  if  lias  once 
been  thoroughly  treated  and  aired.  This  can  be  easily  effected  in  the 
case  of  clothing  and  tins  by  wrapping  them  up  tight  I\  in  stout  paper, 
or  inclosing' in  well-made  bags  of  cotton  or  linen  cloth  or  Btrong  paper. 
Dr.  Howard  lias  adopted  a  plan  which  is  inexpensive  and  which  he 
has  found  eminently  satisfactory.  For  a  small  sum  he  secured  a  num- 
ber of  the  large  pasteboard  boxes  such  us  tailor-  use.  and  in  these 
packs  away  all  winter  clothing,  gamming  a  strip  of  wrapping  paper 
around  the  edge,  so  as  to  seal  up  the  bos  completely  and  leave  no 
cracks.  These  boxes  with  care  will  lasl  many  years.  With  thorough 
preliminary  treatment  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  use  t  he  tar-impregnated 
paper  sacks  sold  as  moth  protectors,  which  may  be  objectionable  on 
account  of  the  odor. 

The  method  of  protection  adopted  by  one  of  the  leading  furriers  of 
Washington,  who  also  has  a  large  business  and  experience  in  storing 
costly  furs,  etc.,  is  practically  the  course  already  outlined. 

Furs,  etc.,  when  received  are  fust  most  thoroughly  and  vigorously 
beaten  with  small  sticks,  to  dislodge  all  loosened  hair  and  the  larvae  or 
moths.  They  are  then  gone  over  carefully  with  a  steel  comb  and  packed 
away  in  large  boxes  lined  with  heavy  tar  roofing  paper,  or  in  closets 
similarly  lined  with  this  paper.  An  examination  is  made  every  two  to 
four  weeks,  and.  if  necessary  at  any  time,  any  garment  requiring  it  is 
rebeaten  and  combed.  During  many  years  of  experience  in  this  climate, 
which  is  especially  favorable  to  moth  damage,  this  merchant  has  pre- 
vented any  serious  injury  from  moths. 

A  common  method  of  protection  followed  by  larger  dealers  in  carpets 
and  furs,  etc.,  is  the  use  of  cold  storage  for  protection.  In  all  large 
towns  anyone  can  avail  himself  of  this  means  by  patronizing  storage 
companies,  and  protection  will  be  guaranteed.  A  temperature  main 
tained  at  40°  F.  is  protective,  but  often  a  much  lower  temperature  is 
maintained — down  to  20°  F. 

In  the  case  of  cloth-covered  furniture  and  cloth-lined  carriages  which 
are  stored  or  left  unused  for  considerable  periods  in  summer  it  will 
probably  be  necessary  to  spray  them  twice  or  three  times,  viz,  in  April. 
June,  and  August  with  benzine  or  naphtha,  to  protect  them  from  moth-. 
These  substances  can  be  applied  very  readily  with  any  small  spraying 
device  and  will  not  harm  the  material,  but  caution  mu>t  be  exercised 
on  account  of  their  inflammability.  Another  means  of  protecting  such 
articles  is  to  sponge  them  very  carefully  with  a  dilute  solution  of  corro 
sive  sublimate  in  alcohol  made  just  strong  enough  not  to  Leave  a  white 
stain. 

0.  L.  M. 


CHAPTER  V. 
SPECIES  INJURIOUS  TO  WALL  PAPER,  BOOKS,  TIMBERS,  ETC. 

By  C.  L.  Maklatt. 
THE  WHITE  ANT. 

( Termes  flavipes  Koll. ) 

No  insect  occurring  in  houses  is  capable  of  doing  greater  damage 
than  the  one  under  consideration.  Its  injuries  are  often  hidden  and 
concealed  until  the  damage  is  beyond  repair,  and  as  it  affects  the  integ- 
rity of  the  building  itself  as  well  as  its  contents,  the  importance  of  the 
insect  becomes  very  evident.  Fortunately  it  is  not  often  present  id 
the  North  in  houses,  but  as  the  Tropics  are  approached  the  injuries 
from  it  in  dwellings  or  other  structures  of  wood  are  of  common  expe- 
rience and  often  of  the  most  serious  nature,  causing  the  sudden  crum 
bling  of  bridges,  wharves,  and  settling  of  floors  or  buildings. 


Fig.  28. — Termes  Jlavijoes:  a.  adult  male;  b,  teinninal  abdominal  segments  of  same  from  below; 
of  female ;  d,  male,  side  view  somewhat  inflated  by  treatment  with  ammonia  ;  e,  abdomen  of  female, 
side  view;  /,  tarsus,  showing  joints  and  claw;  a,  <1,  e,  enlarged;  1),  c, /,  greatly  enlarged  (original). 

The  term  "white  ant,"  by  which  this  insect  is  universally  known,  is 
entirely  inappropriate  in  so  far  as  it  indicates  any  relationship  with  the 
true  ants.  Strictly  speaking,  the  white  ant  is  not  an  ant  at  all,  but 
belongs  with  the  Neuroptera  and  is  allied  to  the  dragon  flies  and  Mas 
flies.  The  only  analogy  with  ants  is  in  superficial  resemblance  and  in 
the  social  habits  of  the  two  groups,  in  which  great  similarity  exists. 
The  popular  acquaintance  with  the  termite  or  white  ant  is  mainly 
70 


SPECIES    INJURIOUS    TO    WALL    PAPER,  BOOKS,  ETC.  71 

derived  from  witnessing  its  nuptial  spring  flight,  when  the  small, 
brownish,  ant-like  creatures  with  long  glistening  white  wings  emerge 

from  cracks  in  the  ground  or  from  crevices  in  buildings,  swarming  out 
sometimes  in  enormous  numbers,  so  that  they  may  often  be  swept  up 
by  the  quart.  These  winged  individuals  are  not  the  ones  which  do  the 
damage,  however,  and  are  a  mere  colonizing  form.  The  real  depreda- 
tors are  soft-bodied,  Large-headed,  milky-white  insects,  less  than  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  which  may  often  be  found  in  numbers 
under  rotting  boards  or  in  decaying  stumps.  These  lasl  arc  the  work- 
ers and  soldiers  (fig.  31,  C  and  d),  and  constitute  the  bulk  of  t  he  colony 
for  most  of  the  year,  the  winged  migrating  forms,  consisting  of  the 
sexed  individuals,  appearing  normally  only  once  a  year,  usually  in 
spring  or  early  summer. 

The  white  ants  present,  in  an  entirely  distinct  order  of  insects, 
another  of  those  most  curious  problems  of  communal  societies  which 
find  80  many  examples  among  the  ants,  bees,  and  wasps.  A  colony  of 
white  ants  includes  workers,  soldiers,  the  young  of  the  various  forms, 
and,  at  the  proper  season  of  the  year,  the  winged  males  and  females; 
also  a  single  parent  pair,  the  specially  developed  king  and  queen.  In 
the  case  of  the  common  white  ant  of  this  country  (  Termes  flavipes  .  the 
true  fully  developed  queen  or  mother  of  the  colony  and  her  consort, 
the  Cully  developed  king  or  male,  have  never  been  found.  The  soldiers 
or  workers  are  degraded  or  undeveloped  individuals  of  both  se\e^. 
differing  in  this  respect  from  ants  and  bees,  in  which  the  workers  are 
all  undeveloped  females. 

The  economy  of  the  termites  is  almost  exactly  analogous  to  that  of 
the  ants  and  bees.  The  workers  attend  to  all  the  duties  of  the  colony. 
make  the  excavations,  build  the  nests,  care  for  the  young,  ami  protect 
and  minister  to  the  wants  of  the  queen  or  mother  ant.  In  this  they  are 
assisted  somewhat  by  the  soldiers,  whose  duty,  however,  is  also  pro- 
tective, their  enormous  development  of  head  and  jaws  indicating  their 
role  as  the  fighters  or  defenders  of  the  colony.  Both  the  workers  and 
soldiers  are  blind.  The  colonizing  individuals  differ  from  the  others  in 
being  fully  developed  sexually  and  in  possession  of  very  long  wings, 
which  normally  lie  flat  over  each  other,  the  upper  wings  concealing  the 
lower,  and  both  projecting  beyond  the  abdomen.  These  wings  have  a 
very  peculiar  suture  near  the  base,  where  they  can  be  readily  broken 
off,  leaving  mere  stumps.  At  the  time  of  the  spring  flight  the  winged 
individuals  emerge  from  the  colony  very  rapidly,  frequently  swarming 
in  clouds  out  of  doors,  and  after  a  short  (light  tall  to  the  ground  and 
very  soon  succeed  in  breaking  oflf  their  long,  clumsy  wings  at  the  suture 
referred  to.  In  this  swarming  or  nuptial  Might  they  conn  out  in  pairs 
and  under  favorable  conditions  each  pair  might  establish  a  new  colony. 
but  in  point  of  fact  this  probably  rarely  if  ever  happens.  They  are 
weak  flyers,  clumsy,  and  not  capable  of  extensive  Locomotion  on  toot. 
and  are  promptly  preyed  upon  and  destroyed  by  many  insectivorous 
animals,  and  rarely  indeed  do  any  of  the  individuals  escape. 


72 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


Theoretically,  if  one  of  these  pairs  succeeded  in  finding  a  decaying 
stump  or  other  suitable  condition  at  hand,  they  would  enter  it,  and  the 
king  and  queen,  being  both  active,  would  attend  to  the  wants  of  the  new 
colony  and  superintend  the  rearing  of  the  first  brood  of  workers  and 
soldiers,  which  would  then  assume  the  laborious  duties  of  the  young 
colony.  Thereafter  the  queen,  by  constant  and  liberal  feeding  and 
absolute  inaction,  would  increase  immensely,  her  abdomen  becoming 
many  thousand  times  its  original  size.  She  would  practically  lose  the 
power  of  locomotion  and  become  a  mere  egg-laying  machine  of  enormous 
capacity.  Allied  species  whose  habits  have  been  studied  in  this  par- 
ticular indicate  an  egg-laying  rate  of  CO  per  minute,  or  something  like 
80,000  per  day. 

In  the  absence  of  a  queen,  however,  white  ants  are  able  to  develop 
from  a  very  young  larva  or  a  nymph  of  what  would  otherwise  become  a 
winged  female  what  is  known  as  a  supplementary  queen,  which  is  never 
winged  and  never  leaves  the  colony.  This  supplementary  queen  (fig. 
31 ,  a)  is  smaller  than  the  perfect  sexed  queen,  but  subserves  all  the  needs 


Fifi.  29. — Termes  jlavipes :  a,  head  of  winged  female  viewed  from  above;  b,  same  from  below,  with 
mouth  parts  opened  out — greatly  enlarged  (original). 

of  the  colony  in  the  matter  of  egg  laying,  and  is  the  only  parent  insect 
so  far  found  in  the  nests  of  the  common  white  ant  in  this  country. 
Whether  a  true  queen  exists  or  not  is,  therefore,  open  to  question;  if 
not,  all  the  individuals  which  escape  in  |Jie  spring  and  summer  migra- 
tions must  perish,  and  this  swarming  would,  therefore,  have  to  be  con- 
sidered a  mere  survival  of  a  once  useful  feature  in  the  economy  of  this 
insect,  now  no  longer,  or  rarely,  of  service. 

The  normal  method  of  the  formation  of  new  colonies  is  probably  by 
the  mere  division  Or  splitting  up  of  old  ones  or  the  carrying  of  infested 
logs  or  timbers  from  one  point  to  another. 

The  development  of  these  curious  insects  is  very  simple.  There  is 
scarcely  any  metamorphosis,  the  change  from  the  young  larva  to  the 
adult  being  very  gradual  and  without  any  marked  difference  in  struc 
ture.  They  feed  on  decaying  wood  or  vegetable  material  of  any  sort, 
and  are  able  to  carry  their  excavations  into  any  timbers  which  are 
moistened,  or  into  furniture,  books,  or  papers  stored  in  rooms  which 
are  at  all  moist.     Their  food  is  the  finely  divided  material  into  which 


SPECIES    INJURIOUS    TO    WALL    PAPER,  BOOKS,  ETC.  73 

tb ey  bore,  and  from  which  they  seem  fco  be  able  to  extract  a  certain 
amount  of  nourishment,  sometimes  redevonring  the  same  material  sev- 
eral times.  They  arc  also  some  what  cannibalistic,  and  will  devour  the 
superfluous  members  of  the  colony  without  compunction,  and  normally 
consume  all  dead  individuals,  cast  skins, and  ot  her  refuse  material.  They 
may  also  feed  to  a  certain  extent  on  the  liquids  produced  by  i  he  decaying 
vegetable  matter  in  which  they  live,  and  perhaps  on  the  fungoid  ce- 
ments resulting  from  such  decay.  They  arc  capable  also  <»f  exuding  a 
sort  of  nectar,  which  is  used  to  i'crd  the  young  and  the  royal  pair,  and 
which  they  also  generously  give  to  cadi  other. 

All  except  the  migrating  winged  forms  are  incapable  <>f  enduring 
full  sunlight,  and  the  soft,  delicate  bodies  of  the  workers,  soldiers,  and 
yuong  rapidly  shrivel  when  exposed. 
In  all  their  operations,  therefore,  they 


ffi-z? 


carefully  conceal  themselves,  and  in  -^  Y^ 

their  mining-  of  timbers  or  books  and 
papers  the  surface  is  always  left  intact, 
aud  whenever  it  is  necessary  for  them 
to  extend  their  colonies  it  is  only  done 
under  the  protection  of  covered  rnn- 
ways,  which  they  construct  of  par- 
ticles of  comminuted  wood  or  little 
pellets  of  excrement.  In  this  way  the 
damage  which  they  are  doing  is  often 

entirely  hidden,   and    not   until   furni-     Fia.  3Q.-Termes  flavipes:   a,  newly-hatched 
■i  ■,       t  ,,  -i  larva;  b,  >ain<-  from  below:  <■.  esg — all  en- 

ture  breaks  down  or  the  underpinning       ,       ,,  ,   ,      •    i 

1  »         larged.  to  same  scale  (original). 

and  timbers  of  houses  or  floors  yield 

is  the  injury  recognized.  The  swarming  of  winged  individuals  in  the 
early  summer,  if  in  or  about  houses,  is  an  indication  of  their  injurious 
presence  and  warrants  an  immediate  investigation  to  prevent  serious 
damage  later  on. 

The  common  termite  of  America  is  very  widespread,  occurring  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  ami  from  Canada  southward  to  the  Gulf. 
It  has  been  found  on  the  mountains  of  Colorado  and  Washington  at  a 
height  of  over  7.000  feet.  In  prairie  regions  it  may  often  be  seen  during 
the  swarming  season  issuing  from  the  ground  at  frequent  intervals 
over  large  pasture  tracts,  where  it  must  U'cd  on  the  roots  of  grass  and 
other  herbage.  It  has  also  been  carried  to  other  countries  and  IS^a 
common  and  often  very  injurious  enemy  of  buildings  and  libraries 
in  Europe.  A  closely  allied  and  equally  injurious  European  species 
(  Termes  lucifugus  has  also  been  brought  t<»  this  country  in  exchange  for 
ours,  but  compared  with  our  own  species  is  somewhat  rare  though 
already  widely  distributed.  In  this  country  serious  damage  to  build- 
ings from  the  white  ant  has  not  been  of  common  occurrence,  especially 
iu  the  North,  except  in  some  notable  instances.  In  Europe  our 
species  has  caused  greater  damage,  and  some  years  ago  gained  a< 
to  oue  of  the  Imperial  hothouses  at  Vienna, and  in  spite  of  all  efforts 


74 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


to  save  the  building  it  was  necessary  ultimately  to  tear  it  down  and 
replace  it  with  an  iron  structure.  In  this  country  instances  arc  on 
record  of  very  serious  damage  to  books  and  papers.  An  accumulation 
of  books  and  papers  belonging  to  the  State  of  Illinois  was  thoroughly 
ruined  by  their  attacks.  A  school  library  in  South  Carolina,  which 
had  been  left  closed  for  the  summer,  was  found  on  being  opened  in  the 
autumn  to  be  completely  eaten  out  and  rendered  valueless.  In  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  an  accumulation  of  records  and  documents 
stored  in  a  vault  which  was  not  thoroughly  dry,  and  allowed  to  remain 
undisturbed  for  several  years,  on  examination  proved  to  be  thoroughly 


m 


V 


-'A 


Fig.  31. —  Termes  flavvpes :  a,  queen;  b,  nymph  of  winged  female;  c,  worker;  <1.  soldier — all  enlarged 

(original). 

mined  and  ruined  by  white  ants.  Humboldt,  on  the  authority  of 
Ilagen,  accounts  for  the  rarity  of  old  books  in  New  Spain  by  the  fre- 
quency of  the  destructive  work  of  these  insects. 

Numerous  instances  of  damage  to  underpinning  of  buildings  and  to 
timbers  are  also  on  record.  The  flooring  of  one  of  the  largest  sections 
ef  the  United  States  National  Museum  has,  for  some  years  back,  been 
annually  undermined  and  weakened  by  a  very  large  colony  of  these 
pests  which  could  not  be  located,  and  finally  the  present  season  the 
authorities  solved  the  problem  by  replacing  the  wood  floor  with  one  of 
cement.     A  few  years  ago  it  was  found  necessary  to  tear  down  and 


SPECIES   INJURIOUS   TO    WAUL    PAPER,   BOOKS,    1   I'  15 

rebuild  three  frame  buildings  in   Washington  in  consequence  of  the 
work  of  tliis  insidious  foe. 

Damage  of  the  sort  mentioned  has  occurred  as  far  north  as  Boston, 
but,  as  stated,  greatly  increases  as  one  approaches  the  Tropics,  where  the 
warmth  and  moisture  arc  especially  suited  to  the  development  and  mul- 
tiplication of  these  insects.  Here  houses  and  furniture  are  never  safe 
from  attack.  The  sudden  crumbling  into  masses  of  dusl  of  chairs,  desks, 
or  other  furniture,  and  the  mining  and  destruction  of  collections  of  books 
and  papers,  are  matters  of  common  experience,  verj  little  hint  of  the 
damage  being  given  by  a  surface  inspection,  even  when  the  interior  of 
limbers  or  boards  lias  been  t  horoughly  eaten  out.  leaving  a  mere  paper 
shell.  While  confining  their  work  almost  solely  to  moistened  or  decay- 
ing timbers  or  vegetable  material  of  any  sort,  books,  and  papers  that 
are  somewhat  moist,  they  are  known  to  work  also  in  living  trees,  carry 
ing  their  mines  through  the  moist  and  nearly  dead  heart  wood.  In  this 
way  some  valuable  trees  in  Boston  were  so  injured  as  to  make  their 
removal  necessary.  In  Florida  they  ai  e  often  the  cause  <>!'  great  damage 
to  orange  trees,  working  around  the  crowns  and  in  the  roots  of  trees. 
They  are  sometimes  also  the  occasion  of  considerable  loss  in  conserva- 
tories, attacking  cuttings  ami  the  roots  of  plants.  In  prairie  regions 
also  their  work  must  necessarily  be  of  the  latter  nature. 

The  white  ant  is  not  confined  to  country  places,  but  is  just  as  apt  to 
occur  in  the  midst  of  towns,  and  especially  in  buildings  which  are  sin 
rounded  by  open  lawns  containing  growing  trees  and  flower  beds  richly 
manured. 

The  first  means  of  protection,  therefore,  consists  in  surrounding  all 
libraries  or  buildings  in  which  articles  of  value  are  stored  with  clear 
Spaces  and  graveled  or  asphalted  walks.  The  normal  habit  of  these 
insects  of  breeding  in  decaying  stumps  and  partially  rotted  posts  or 
boards  immediately  suggests  the  wisdom  of  the  prompt  removal  of  all 
such  material  which  would  otherwise  facilitate  the  formation  or  per- 
petuation of  their  colonies.  Complete  dryness  in  buildings  is  an  impor- 
tant means  of  rendering  them  safe  from  attack,  ami  the  presence  of 
living  termites  at  any  time  in  the  spring  or  summer  should  be  followed 
immediately  by  a  prompt  investigation  to  locate  the  colony  and  deter 
mine  the  possibilities  of  damage.  The  point  of  emergence  of  winged 
individuals  may  approximately,  though  not  always,  indicate  the  location 
of  the  colony,  ami  if  it  can  be  got  at  by  the  removal  <>f  flooring  01 
opening  the  walls,  the  colony  may  be  destroyed  by  th<-  removal  of  the 
decaying  or  weakened  timbers  and  a  thorough  drenching  with  steam, 
hot  water,  or,  preferably,  kerosene  or  some  other  petroleum  oil.  The 
destruction  of  winged  individuals  as  they  emerge  is  of  DO  value  w  hat 
ever;  the  colony  itself  must  be  reached  or  future  damage  will  not  be 
interfered  with  in  the  least.  If  the  colony  be  inaccessible  it  max  some 
times  be  possible  to  inject  into  the  walls  or  crevices,  from  which  the 
winged  individuals  are  emerging,  kerosene  in  sufficient  quantity  t<> 
reach  the  main  not.  it'  the  conditions  be  such  as  to  indicate  that  it  may 


76 


PRINCIPAL    PIOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


be  near  by,  and  by  this  means  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  inmates  may  be 
killed.  In  all  districts  of  the  South  frequent  examinations  of  libraries 
and  stored  papers  should  be  made. 

The  advisability,  in  regions  where  the  ant  is  likely  to  be  especially 
destructive,  of  giving  all  buildings  a  stone  foundation  or  imbedding  all 
the  lower  timbers  and  joists  in  cement  will  J>e  at  once  evident. 


/ 


THE  SILVER  FISH. 

(Lepisma  mccharina  Linn.) 

This  insect  is  often  one  of  the  most  troublesome  enemies  of  books, 
papers,  card  labels  in  museums,  and  starched  clothing,  and  occasionally 
stored  food  substances.  Its  peculiar  fish-like  form  and  scaly,  glistening 
body,  together  with  its  very  rapid  movements  and  active  efforts  at 

concealment  whenever  it  is  uncovered, 
have  attached  considerable  popular  in- 
terest to  it  and  have  resulted  in  its 
receiving  a  number  of  more  or  less  descrip- 
tive popular  names,  such  as  silver  fish, 
silver  louse,  silver- witch,  sugar  fish,  etc. 
The  species  named  above  is  the  common 
one  in  England,  but  also  occurs  in  this; 
country,  and,  like  most  other  domestic 
insects,  is  now  practically  cosmopolitan. 
It  has  a  number  of  near  allies,  which 
closely  resemble  it,  both  in  appearance 
and  habits.  One  of  these  (Lepisma  (Ther- 
mobia)  domesiica  Pack.)  has  certain  pe- 
culiarities of  habit  which  will  be  referred 
to  later.  The  peculiar  appearance  of  the 
common  silver  fish  early  drew  attention 
to  it,  and  a  fairly  accurate  description  of 
it,  given  in  a  little  work  published  in 
London  in  1(365  by  the  Royal  Society,  is 
interesting  enough  to  reproduce: 

It  is  a  small,  silvery,  shining  worm  or  moth  which  I  fonnd  much  conversant  .among 
books  and  papers,  and  is  supposed  to  he  that  which  corrodes  and  eats  holes  through 
the  leaves  and  covers.  It  appears  to  the  naked  eye  a  small,  glittering,  pearl-colored 
moth,  which,  upon  the  removing  of  hooks  and  papers  in  the  summer,  is  often  observed 
very  nimbly  to  scud  and  pack  away  to  some  lurking  cranny  where  it  may  better 
protect  itself  from  any  appearing  dangers.  Its  head  appears  big  and  blunt,  and  its 
body  tapers  from  it  toward  the  tail,  smaller  and  smaller,  being  shaped  almost  like  a 
carret.1 

On  account  of  its  always  shunning  the  light  and  its  ability  to  run 
very  rapidly  to  places  of  concealment,  it  is  not  often  seen  and  is  most 


i 


Fu 


32. — Lepisma    saccharina. 
enlarged  (original). 


adult- 


Micrographia,  R.  Hooke,  London,  1665. 


SPECIES    INJURIOUS    TO    WALL    PAI'KU,   HOOKS,  ETC. 


77 


\ 


difficult  to  capture,  and  being  clothed  wiili  smooth,  glistening  scales,  if 
will  slip  from  between  the  fingers  and  is  almost  impossible  to  secure 
without  crushing  or  damaging.  It  is  one  of  the  most  serious  pests  in 
libraries,  particularly  to  the  binding  of  books,  and  will  frequently  eat 
oft' the  gold  lettering  to  get  at  the  paste  beneath,  or,  as  reported  by 
Mr.  I'.  K.  LThler,  of  Baltimore,  often  gnaws  off  white  Blips  glued  on  the 
backs  of  books.  Eeavily  glazed  paper  Beemsvery  attractive  bo  this 
insect,  and  it  has  frequently  happened  thai  the  labels  in  museum  col- 
lections have  been  disfigured  or  destroyed  by  it,  the  glazed  surface 
having  been  entirely 
eaten  off*.  In  some 
cases  books  printed  on 
heavily  sized  paper 
will  have  the  surface 
of  the  leaves  a  good 
deal  scraped,  leaving 
only  the  portions  cov- 
ered by  the  ink.  It  will 
also  eat  any  starched 
clothing,  linen,  or  cur- 
tains, and  has  been 
known  to  do  very  se- 
rious damage  to  silks 
which  had  probably 
been  stiffened  with 
sizing.  Its  damage  in 
houses,  in  addition  to 
its  injury  to  books, 
consists  in  causing 
the  wall  paper  to  scale 
off  by  its  feeding  on 
the  starch  paste.  It 
occasionally  gets  into 

veget  a  bl  e    (hugs  or 

similar     material    left 

undisturbed    for    long 

periods.      It  is  reported  also  to  eat  occasionally  into  carpet 

covered  furniture,  but  this  is  open  to  question. 

The   silver   fish   belongs  to  the  lowest    order  of  insects — the  Thy- i 
nura — is  wingless,   and   of   very  simple   structure.      It   is  a    worm  like 
insect    about    one  third   of   an    inch    in    length,   tapering    from    near  the 

head  to  the  extremity  of  the  body.     The  head  carries  two  prominent 
antenme,  and   at   the    tip  of   the   body    are  three    long,   bristle- shaped 
appendages,  one  pointing  directly  backward  and  t  lie  other  two  extend 
ing  out  at  a  considerable  angle.    The  entire  surface  of  the  bod}  is  cov- 
ered with  very  minute  scales  like  those  of  a   moth.     Six  leg-  spring 


l.r/.i.s,,/ 


I   (original) 


nd  plush 


78  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

from  the  thorax,  and,  while  not  very  long,  they  are  powerful  and  enable 
the  insect  to  run  with  great  rapidity. 

In  certain  peculiarities  of  structure,  and  also  in  their  habits,  these 
anomalous  insects  much  remind  one  of  roaches,  and  their  quick,  gliding 
movements  and  flattened  bodies  greatly  heighten  this  resemblance. 
More  striking  than  all,  however,  is  the  remarkable  development  of  the 
coxa'  or  basal  joints  of  the  legs  in  the  silver  fish,  which  finds  its  counter- 
part in  roaches,  and,  taken  in  connection  with  the  other  features  of 
resemblance,  seems  to  point  to  a  very  close  alliance  between  the  two 
groups,  if,  indeed,  the  silver  fish  are  not  merely  structurally  degraded 
forms  of  roaches  and  to  be  properly  classed  with  the  Blattida\ 

The  general  distribution  of  the  insect  about  rooms,  in  bookcases, 
and  under  wall  paper  renders  the  application  of  insecticides  difficult 
and  often  impracticable.  It  readily  succumbs  to  pyrethrum,  and  where- 
ever  this  can  be  applied,  as  on  book  shelves,  it  furnishes  the  best  means 
of  control.  For  starched  clothing  and  similar  objects  liable  to  be 
injured  by  it  there  are  no  means  except  frequent  handling  and  airing 
and  the  destruction  by  hand  of  all  specimens  discovered.  Little  dam- 
age is  liable  to  occur  in  houses  except  in  comparatively  moist  situ- 
ations or  where  stored  objects  remain  undisturbed  for  a  year  or  more. 

Another  of  the  common  silver  fishes  of  this  country,  referred  to  in 
the  opening  paragraph,  has  developed  a  novel  habit  of  frequenting 
ovens  and  fireplaces,  and  seemingly  revels  in  an  amount  of  heat  which 
would  be  fatal  to  most  other  insects.  It  disports  itself  in  numbers 
about  the  openings  of  ranges  and  over  the  hot  bricks  and  metal,  mani- 
festing a  most  surprising  immunity  from  the  effects  of  high  tempera- 
ture. This  heat-loving  or  bakehouse  species  (fig.  33)  was  described  in 
1873  as  Lepisma  domestica  by  Packard,  who  reported  it  to  be  common 
about  fireplaces  at  Salem,  Mass.  This  species  is  also  very  abundant  in 
Washington.  What  is  evidently  this  same  insect  has  become  very  com- 
mon, particularly  in  the  last  year  or  two,  in  England  and  on  the  Conti- 
nent, where  it  manifests  the  same  liking  for  hot  places  exhibited  by  it 
in  this  country.  The  habit  of  this  species  of  congregating  in  bake- 
houses and  dwellings,  about  fireplaces  and  ovens,  has  given  rise  to  the 
common  appellation  for  it  in  England  of  "  fire-brat."  Similar  descriptive 
names  are  applied  to  them  also  on  the  Continent.  This  species  closely 
resembles  the  common  silver  fish  in  size  and  general  appearance,  but 
may  be  readily  distinguished  from  it  by  the  presence  on  the  upper 
surface  of  dusky  markings.  It  also  possesses  well-marked  structural 
differences,  which  have  led  to  its  late  reference  to  a  distinct  genus — 
Thermobia.  An  Italian  entomologist,  Kovelli,  has  described  thisiusect 
under  the  descriptive  name  fumorwm.,  from  its  inhabiting  ovens,  and 
the  name  of  the  genus  to  which  it  is  now  assigned  by  English  entomolo- 
gists is  also  descriptive  of  its  heat  loving  character.  A  Dutch  ento- 
mologist, Oudemans,  reports  that  he  has  found  it  in  abundance  in  all 
bakehouses  that  he  has  examined  in  Amsterdam,  where  it  is  well  known 
to  bakers  and  has  received  a  number  of  familiar  names. 


SPECIES   INJURIOUS    TO    WALL    PAPER,   BOO]  79 

THE  BOOK-LOUSE. 
(Atropos  divinatoria   Fab. 

This  pale,  louse-like  insect,  measuring  less  than  1  mm.  in  length  use 
ally  occurs  in  houses,  though  rarely  in  an\  numbers,  and  is  most  often 
been  on  opening  old  musty  volumes,  scampering  across  th<  con- 

peal  itself  elsewhere.  From  this  lml.it  comes  its  popular  name  of  book- 
louse.  It  is  one  of  the  smallest  of  insects,  nearly  colorless,  and  almost 
invisible  to  the  unaided  eye  except  as  its  active  movements  atl 
one's  attention.  It  belongs  to  the  familj  Psocidse,  and  is  somewhat 
closely  allied  to  the  white  ants,  belonging  in  thesame  order.  There  are 
a  number  of  species  of  psocids  winch  frequent  houses,  all  popularly 
styled  book-lice,  and  having  habits  and  characteristics  \ei  \  similar  to 
the  one  named  above,  which  is  the  more  common  and  anno;  iug  species, 


Fig.  31. — Atropot  divinatoria:  a.  adult  from  below;  >>.  Bame  from  above; /,  maxiUi 
illii('):  i/.  mandible;  c,  labium     all  eularged  (original). 


rj  palp 


and  may  be  taken  as  the  type.     All  these  troublesome  house  species  are 
soft-bodied,  wingless,  degraded  creatures,  representing  the  very  lowest 
form  of  insect  life.     A  great  many  specie-,  also,  live  out  of  doors,  many 
of  these  being  winged  and  somewhat  resembling  plant  I  i  *  -  *  - .    They  fre 
quently  occur  in  numbers  on  the  bark  of  trees  and  the  walls  of  buildings, 
and  iw<\  on  lichens  or  decaying  vegetable  matter.     The  Psocids 
biting  insects,  having  well-developed  mandibles  and  other  mouth  parts. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  features  in  connection  with  the  common 
house  species,  and  from  which  it  take-  sometimes  the  name  "death 
watch."'  is  the  reputation  it  has  of  making  a  ticking  sound,  su] 
prognosticate  dire  consequences  to  some  inmate  ot  the  house.     Thai  it 
can  make  some  such  noise,  probably  '»>  striking  its  head  some 

hard  object,  seems  to  be  pretty  well  established  in  spite  of  the  seeming 


80  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

impossibility  of  an  audible  sound  being  produced  in  this  way  by  so 
small  an  insect.  This  psocid  is  not,  however,  the  true  deathwatch. 
This  doubtful  honor  is  shared  by  a  near  ally,  also  a  psocid,  and  having 
similar  habits  (Clothilla pulsatoria),  and  certain  wood-boring  beetles, 
which  frequently  work  in  the  timbers  of  houses. 

The  house  species,  and  particularly  the  one  named  at  the  head  of 
this  chapter,  are  widely  distributed,  almost  cosmopolitan,  and  are 
occasionally  the  source  of  very  considerable  annoyance  and  damage. 
Throughout  the  warm  season  they  may  be  frequently  seen  in  cupboards, 
on  window  ledges,  or  library  shelves,  especially  among  books  or  papers 
which  are  seldom  used.  They  are  practically  omnivorous,  feeding  on 
any  animal  or  vegetable  matter,  and  are  especially,  fond  of  the  starchy 
paste  used  in  book  bindings  or  for  attaching  wall  paper.  They  also 
feed  on  flour,  meal,  and  other  farinaceous  substances,  and  are  frequently 
very  destructive  to  collections  of  natural  history  objects. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  these  insects  are  not  especially  injuri- 
ous in  dwelling  houses,  and  it  is  only  where  the  materials  which  they 
are  capable  of  injuring  or  in  which  they  will  breed  are  left  undisturbed 
for  long  periods  that  they  are  apt  to  multiply  and  cause  any  serious 
damage.  Occasionally,  however,  they  will  multiply  in  excessive  num- 
bers in  some  available  food  supply  and  swarm  over  the  house,  to  the 
great  consternation  of  the  housekeeper.  In  cases  of  such  extraordi- 
nary multiplication,  so  difficult  are  they  to  reach  in  the  many  recesses 
in  which  they  can  conceal  themselves  that  the  most  persistent  and 
thorough  cleansing  and  fumigating  are  scarcely  of  any  avail.  For- 
tunately, such  instances  of  excessive  multiplication  are  rare,  but 
there  are  several  notable  cases  on  record.  The  straw  or  husk  fillings 
of  mattresses  or  beds  seem  to  be  especially  favorable  locations  for  their 
multiplication,  and  in  the  worst  cases  of  infestation  the  psocids  have 
come  from  such  sources.  Small  species  of  psocids  are  often  extraor- 
dinarily abundant  in  straw  in  barns  and  stables,  and  Dr.  Lintner 
quotes  Mr.  McLachlan,  of  London,  England,  as  having  found  myriads 
of  the  species  under  discussion  in  the  straw  coverings  of  wine  bottles. 

Mr.  Alfred  0.  Stokes,  Trenton,  K.  J.  (Insect  Life,  Vol.  I,  p.  144), 
reports  a  case  which  may  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  several  recorded 
instances  of  a  similar  nature.  He  says  that  in  a  new  house  kept  by 
very  neat  occupants  a  mattress  of  hair  and  corn  husks  which  had  been 
purchased  some  six  months  before  was  found  in  September,  after  the 
house  had  been  closed  about  six  weeks,  to  be  so  covered  with  these 
insects  that  kw  a  pin  point  could  not  have  been  put  down  without  touch- 
ing one  or  more  of  the  bugs."  The  side  of  the  lower  sheet  next  the 
mattress  was  likewise  covered,  and  further  search  showed  the  walls  and 
in  fact  the  entire  house  to  be  swarming  with  them.  A  sweep  of  the 
hand  over  the  walls  would  gather  them  by  thousands:  bureau  drawers 
were  swarming  with  them,  and  they  were  under  every  object  and  in 
everything.     The  mattress  was  found  to  contain  millions  of  them  and 


SPECIES   INJURIOUS   TO   WALL    PAPER,  BOOKS,  ETC.  81 

seemed  to  be  the  source  of  supply.  The  measures  taken  were  most 
thorough.  The  mattress  was  promptly  removed ;  walls  aDd  floors  were 
washed  with  borax  and  corrosive  sublimate  solution;  carpets  were 
steam  cleaned;  pyrethrum  was  freely  used;  furniture  was  beaten, 
cleaned,  and  varnished,  the  struggle  being  kept  up  for  a  year  with  all 
the  persistence  of  an  extraordinarily  neat  housekeeper.  The  insect 
continued  to  have  the  best  of  it,  however,  and  persisted,  though  in 
diminished  numbers. 

The  family  then  removed  to  a  hotel  and  for  days  the  house  was  fumi- 
gated with  burning  sulphur  and  the  scrubbing  was  repeated.  The 
insect  was  still  not  entirely  exterminated  and  the  house  was  vacated 
again  and  subjected  to  the  vapor  of  benzine.  The  insects,  two  years 
after  the  removal  of  the  mattress,  were  reported  to  l>e  still  in  the  house, 
greatly  reduced,  but  to  be  found  in  dark  corners. 

An  almost  exact  duplication  of  this  experience  is  reported  by  Dr. 
J.  A.  Lintner  (Second  Report,  p.  L98)  as  occurring  in  a  residence  in 
Otsego  County,  X.  Y.,  the  infestation  coming  originally  from  straw- 
filled  ticks. 

In  aggravated  cases  of  the  kind  noted  nothing  but  the  most  thorough 
steps  will  be  of  avail.  The  source  of  supply,  if  in  straw  or  husk  ticks, 
should  be  promptly  removed  and  the  contents  of  the  ticks  or  mattresses 
burned. 

Carpets  and  bedding  should  be  steam  cleaned  and  floors  should  be 
thoroughly  washed  with  soapsuds  and  the  walls  washed  and  repapered 
or  painted.  Benzine  or  gasoline  should  be  applied  freely  to  all  possible 
retreats  or  to  furniture  which  can  not  be  otherwise  cleaned.  Thorough 
fumigation  with  brimstone,  as  recommended  for  the  bedbug  (see  p.  38  . 
or  like  fumigation  with  bisulphide  of  carbon,  will  destroy  many  of  the 
psocids  if  the  room  can  be  tightly  closed  for  several  hours. 

There  is  no  means  of  preventing  the  occasional  occurrence  of  psocids 
in  houses,  but  unless  exceptional  opportunities  are  furnished  they  will 
rarely  be  troublesome,  and  occasional  examinations  of  book  shelves  or 
other  locations  where  they  are  apt  to  appear,  with  a  liberal  dimting  of 
pyrethrum  powder  whenever  necessary,  will  ordinarily  keep  them  in 
check.  With  plenty  of  air  and  light  and  in  apartments  in  daily  use 
they  rarely  a  pi  tear  in  any  numbers.  The  use  of  straw  or  husk  filled 
ticks  or  mattresses  would  seem  inadvisable  or  at  least  should  be  discon- 
tinued at  the  first  indication  of  being  at  all  subject  to  infestation. 

THE  AMERICAN  SPRING-TAIL. 

(Lepidocyrtus  americanus  Afarlatt. 

This  very  anomalous  Little  insect,  measuring  scarcely  more  than  one- 
tenth  of  an  inch,  silvery  -ray  in  color,  with  purple  or  violet  mart 
may  be  frequently  observed  in  houses  in  sit  nations  similar  to  those  fre- 
quented by  the  two  species  lasl  described,     in  common  with  the  silver 

2805— No.  -1 G 


82 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


fish,  it  belongs  to  the  order  of  insects  known  as  Aptera  (wingless),  from 
the  fact  of  their  having  no  vestige  of  wings  throughout  life. 

The  simple  structure  of  these  insects,  and  particularly  their  resem- 
blance to  the  larval  state  of  winged  insects,  has  led  to  the  belief  that 
they  are  the  primitive  forms  of  insect  life.  That  this  is  true  is,  however, 
by  no  means  certain,  and  they  may  rather  be  degraded  or  debased 
examples  of  some  of  the  higher  orders  of  insects.  The  species  figured 
herewith  is  not  infrequently  found  in  dwellings  in  Washington,  but  is 
apparently  undescribed,  and,  in  fact,  little  is  known  of  the  American 
species.  It  is,  however,  closely  allied  to  a  European  form  (L.  cerricalis), 
often  found  in  cellars,  and  figured  by  £*ir  John  Lubbock  in  his  mono- 
graph on  these  insects  (PI.  XXV).  Another  allied  European  species 
(Seira  domestica)  has  been  named  from  the  fact  of  its  being  a  frequenter 
of  houses. 


Fig.  35.  — Spring-tail  (Lepidocyrtus  americanus) 
view  from  above  (original). 


Fm.  36.— Spring-tail  (Lepidocyrtus  americanus) 
view  from  beneath  (original). 


These  insects  belong  to  the  suborder  Gollembola,  which  (following 
Sharp)  is  distinguished  from  the  other  suborder  of  Aptera,  Thysanura, 
by  having  but  five  body  segments  instead  of  ten,  and  possessing  a 
very  peculiar  ventral  tube  on  the  first  segment,  and  commonly  also  a 
terminal  spring,  by  means  of  which  these  creatures  leap  with  great 
agility,  and  from  which  they  take  their  common  name  of  "  spring-tails." 

These  insects,  though  very  abundant,  have  been  very  little  studied, 
and  little  is  known  of  their  life  habits.  They  often  multiply  in  extraor- 
dinary numbers,  especially  in  moist  situations,  swarming  on  the  sur- 
face of  stagnant  water  or  on  wet  soil.  They  seem  to  be  very  tolerant 
of  cold,  and  we  have  interesting  accounts  of  the  occurrence  of  a  spe- 
cies related  to  the  one  figured  in  the  Arctic  regions  on  melting  snow 
fields  and  on  glaciers,  where  they  are  known  as  "snow  fleas"  or  "  snow 
worms."  Other  interesting  forms  occur  in  caves,  and  in  the  Mammoth 
Cave  in  Kentucky  they  are  notably  abundant.  In  houses  they  may 
often  be  found  on  window  sills,  in  bathrooms,  and  sometimes,  under 


SPECIES    INJURIOUS    TO    WALL    PAPER,    BOOKS.   ETC. 


S3 


favorable  situations,  in  very  considerable  numbers.  Especially  are 
they  apt  to  occur  where  there  are  window  plants  or  in  small  conserva- 
tories, but  are  not  confined  to  these  situations.  Very  little  is  known  <>f 
their  food  habits,  but  they  are  supposed  to  subsisl  on  refuse  or  chiefly 
decaying  vegetable  matter. 

The  striking  peculiarities  of  these  Insects  are  in  the  remarkable 
ventral  tube  and  the  strong  saltatorial  appendage  of  the  extremity 
of  the  body.    The 

first   arises    Prom  ^ 

t  lie  forward  body 
segmen  t,  and 
seems  to  act  in 
this  species  as  a 
sort  of  a  retainer 
for  the  lea  pi  ug 
organ,  or  spring 
proper,  as  shown 
in  fig.  36.  It  is 
said  to  secrete  a 
viscid  fluid, which 
enables  the  insect 
to  better  adhere 
to  smooth  vertical 

surfaces.  The  so-called  "catch,"  or  retainer  proper,  is  shown  in  a  small 
projection  between  the  hind  pair  of  legs  and  the  spring  (fig.  37),  and 
grasps  the  hitter  near  the  middle.  The  springing  organ  is  two- jointed. 
the  last  joint  being  bifurcate,  and  its  terminals  inclosing  the  ventral 
tube.  It  is  shown  in  normal  position  in  fig. 36,  and  as  it  appears  when 
leaping  in  fig.  37,  a. 

These  insects  can  not  survive  dryness,  and.  while  they  will  not  often 
occur  in  sufficient  numbers  to  be  particularly  objectionable,  t  he  removal 
of  the  moist  objects  or  surfaces  on  which  they  congregate  and  the 
maintenance  of  dry  conditions  will  cause  them  to  soon  disappear. 


Fig  37.  Spring-tail  {Lepidocyrtm  amerieanus).  a,  lateral  view  of  re- 
male;  b,  foot  of  same;  <•,  tip  of  spring- tail;  </.  bodj  scale;  <\  upper  lip 
or  labium;/,  mandible  or  jaws;  gr,  lower  jaws  and  lower  Up  or  maxilla 
and  labium—  (original). 


OHAPTEE  VI. 
COCKROACHES  AND  HOUSE  ANTS. 

By  C.  L.  Marlatt. 
COCKROACHES. 

{Periplaneta  americana  et  ah) 

Roaches  are  among  the  commonest  and  most  offensive  of  the  insects 
which  frequent  human  habitations.  They  were  well  known  to  the 
ancients,  who  called  them  lucifuga,  from  their  habit  of  always  shunning 
the  light.  The  common  English  name  for  them,  or,  more  properly,  for 
the  common  domestic  English  species,  is  "black  beetle."  In  America 
this  name  lias  not  been  adopted  to  any  extent  for  this  insect,  which  was 


Fm«  38. — The  American  roach  (Periplaneta  americana):  a,  view  from  above;  b,  from  beneath— bolh 

enlarged  one-third  (original). 

early  introduced  here,  and  the  term  "roach," or  "cockroach,"  is  the 
common  appellation  of  all  the  domestic  species.  The  little  German 
roach,  however,  is  very  generally  known  as  the  Oroton  bug,  from  its 
early  association  with  the  Oroton  waterworks  system  in  ]Sew  York  City. 
The  popular  designations  of  this  insect  in  Germany  illustrate  in  an 
84 


COCKROACHES    AND    HOUSE    AM-.  86 

amusing  way  both  sectional  and  racial  prejudices.  In  north  Germany 
these  roaches  are  known  as  "Schwaben,"  a  name  which  applies  to  the 
inhabitants  of  south  Germany,  and  the  latter  Beet  lod  "even  up"bj  call 
ingthem  "Preussen,"  after  the  north  Germans.  En  east  Germany  they 
are  called  "  Russen,"  and  in  west  <  termany  ••  Franzosen,"  the  t  wo  latter 
appellations  indicating  a  certain  national  antipathy  to  rival  countries 
as  well  as  a  fanciful  idea  as  to  origin.  Still  other  names  are  "  Span  icr," 
dating  from  the  time  of  Charles  V.  and  "Dane,"  from  Denmark. 

DISTRIBUTION    AM)    BISTOR1  . 

The  roaches  belong  to  a  very  extensive  family,  the  Blattidae,  com 
paratively  few  of  which,  fortunately,  have  become  domesticated.  In 
temperate  countries  some  four  or  five  species  are  very  common  house- 
hold pests,  and  a  few  occur  wild  in  woods;  but  they  are  essentially 
inhabitants  of  warm  countries,  and  in  the  Tropics  the  house  specie-  are 
very  numerous,  and  the  wild  species  occur  in  great  number  and  variety, 
many  of  them  being  striking  in  shape,  coloration,  and  size,  one  Bpecies 
expanding  more  than  (J  inches.  The  inability  of  the  domestic  roaches 
to  withstand  unusual  cold  was  illustrated  by  the  fact  thai  the  severe 
weather  in  the  winter  of  L894  in  Florida,  which  was  so  destructive  to 
the  citrus  groves,  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  11.(1.  Hubbard,  destroyed 
all  the  roaches,  even  those  in  houses,  except  a  few  unusually  well  pro 
tected.  Under  suitable  conditions  in  the  more  northern  latitude  the 
domestic  species  often  multiply  prodigiously,  and  even  in  the  far  north 
a  species  occurs  in  the  huts  of  the  Laplanders,  and  sometimes  entirely 
devours  the  stores  of  dried  fish  pul  away  for  winter  consumption. 

While  the  domestic  species  are  few  in  Dumber,  nearly  a  thousand 
species  of  Blattidae  have  been  described  and  preserved  in  collections, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  perhaps  upward  of  5,000  species  occur  at  the 
present  time  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  The  great  majority  of  the 
roaches  live  out  of  doors,  subsisting  on  living  vegetation,  and  occasion- 
ally in  warm  countries  are  very  injurious  to  cultivated  plants. 

The  roach  is  one  of  the  most  primitive  and  ancient  insects,  in  the 
sense  of  its  early  appearance  on  the  globe,  fossil  remains  of  roaches 
occurring  in  abundance  in  the  early  coal  formations,  ages  before  the 
more  common  forms  of  insect  life  of  the  present  day  had  began  to 
appear.  The  species  now  existing  are  few  in  Dumber  in  comparison 
with  the  abundance  of  forms  in  the  Carboniferous  age,  which  might 
with  propriety  he  called  the  age  of  cockroaches,  the  moisture  and 
warmth  of  that  distant  period  being  alike  favorable  to  plant  growth 
and  the  multiplication  of  tins  family  of  insects. 

The  house  roaches  of  today  were  undoubtedly  verj  earlj  associated 
with  man  in  his  primitive  dwellings,  and  through  the  agency  of  com- 
merce have  followed  him  wherever  navigation  has  extendi  1.  hi  fact, 
on  shipboard  they  are  always  especially  numerous  and  troublesome, 
the  moisture  and  heat  of  the  vessels  being  particularly  favorable  to 


86  PRINCIPAL   HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

their  development.  It  is  supposed  that  the  common  oriental  cockroach 
or  so-called  "black  beetle"  of  Europe  (Periplaneta  orientalis)  is  of 
Asiatic,  origin,  and  it  is  thought  to  have  been  introduced  into  Europe 
in  the  last  two  or  three  hundred  years.  The  original  home  of  this  and 
the  other  common  European  species  (Ectobia  germanica)  is,  however, 
obscure,  and  in  point  of  fact  they  have  probably  both  been  associated 
with  man  from  the  earliest  times,  and  naturally  would  come  into  the 
newly  settled  portions  of  Europe  from  the  older  civilizations  of  Asia 
and  Egypt. 

Of  the  other  two  domestic  species  especially  considered  in  this  paper 
the  Australian  roach  (P.  australasice),  as  its  name  implies,  is  a  native  of 
Australia,  and  the  American  roach  (P.  americana)  of  tropical  America. 

Earely  do  two  of  the  domestic  species  occur  in  any  numbers  together 
in  the  same  house.  Often  also  of  two  neighboring  districts  one  may  be 
infested  with  one  species,  while  in  the  other  a  distinct  species  is  the 
commoner  one.  The  different  species  are  thus  seemingly  somewhat 
antagonistic,  and  it  is  even  supposed  that  they  inay  prey  upon  each 
other,  the  less  numerous  species  being  often  driven  out. 

STRUCTURAL    CHARACTERISTICS. 

Although  among  the  oldest  insects  geologically,  roaches  have  not 
departed  notably  from  the  early  types,  and  form  one  of  the  most  persist- 
ent groups  among  insects.  The  house  species  are  rather  uniformly  dark 
brown  or  dark  colored,  a  coloration  which  corresponds  with  their  habit 
of  concealment  during  daylight.  They.are  smooth  and  slippery  insects, 
and  in  shape  broad  and  flattened.  The  head  is  inflexed  under  the  body, 
so  that  the  mouth  parts  are  directed  backward  and  the  eyes  directed 
downward,  conforming  with  their  groveling  habits.  The  antennae  are 
very  long  and  slender,  often  having  upward  of  100  joints.  The  males 
usually  have  two  pairs  of  wings,  the  outer  ones  somewhat  coriaceous  and 
the  inner  ones  more  membranous  and  once  folded  longitudinally.  In 
some  species,  as,  for  instance,  the  black  beetle,  the  females  are  nearly 
wingless.  The  legs  are  long  and  powerful  and  armed  with  numerous 
strong  bristles  or  spines.  The  mouth  parts  are  well  developed  and  with 
strong  biting  jaws,  enabling  them  to  eat  all  sorts  of  substances. 

HABITS   AND   LIFE   HISTORY. 

In  houses  roaches  are  particularly  abundant  in  pantries  and  kitchens, 
especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  fireplaces,  on  account  of  the  heat. 
For  the  same  reason  they  are  often  abundant  in  the  oven  rooms  of 
bakeries  or  wherever  the  temperature  is  maintained  above  the  normal. 
They  conceal  themselves  during  the  day  behind  baseboards,  furniture, 
or  wherever  security  and  partial  protection  from  the  light  are  afforded. 
Their  very  flat,  thin  bodies  enable  them  to  squeeze  themselves  into 
small  cracks  or  spaces  where  their  presence  would  not  be  suspected 
and  where  they  are  out  of  the  reach  of  enemies.     Unless  routed  out  by 


COCKROACHES  AND  HOUSE  ANTS.  87 

the  moving  of  furniture  or  disturbed  in  their  biding  places,  they  are 
rarely  seen,  and  it'  so  uncovered,  make  off  with  wonderful  celerity,  with 
a  scurrying,  nervous  gait,  and  usually  are  able  to  elude  all  efforts  at 
their  capture  or  destruction.  It  may  often  happen  thai  their  presence, 
at  least  in  the  abundance  in  which  thej  occur,  is  hardly  realized  by 
the  housekeeper,  unless  they  are  surprised  in  their  midnight  feasts. 
Coming  into  a  kitchen  or  pantry  suddenly,  a  sound  of  the  rustlii 
numerous  objects  will  come  to  the  ear,  and  if  a  light  be  introduced, 
often  the  floor  or  shelves  will  be  seen  covered  with  scurrying  roaches 
hastening  to  places  of  concealment.  In  districts  where  the  large 
American  roach  occurs  they  sometimes  swarm  in  this  way  at  nighl  in 
such  numbers  that  upon  entering  a  small  room  in  which  thej  are  con- 
gregated one  will  be  repeatedly  struck  and  scratched  on  the  face  and 
hands  by  the  insects  in  their  frantic  flight  t<>  gain  concealment. 

The  black  roach  is  less  active  and  wary  than  the  others,  and  particu- 
larly the  German  roach,  which  is  especially  agile  and  shy. 

The  domestic  roaches  arc  practically  omnivorous,  feeding  on  alm<>>f 
any  dead  animal  matter,  cereal  products,  and  food  materials  of  all  sorts. 
They  are  also  said  to  eat  their  own  cast  skins  and  egg  eases,  and  it  is 
supposed  that  they  will  attack  other  species  of  roaches,  or  arc.  perhaps, 
occasionally  cannibalistic.  They  will  also  eat  or  gnaw  woolens,  Leather 
(as  of  shoes  or  furniture),  and  frequently  are  the  cause  of  extensive 
damage  to  the  (doth  and  leather  bindings  of  books  in  libraries  and 
publishing  houses.  The  sizing  or  paste  used  on  the  cloth  covers  and  in 
the  binding  of  books  seems  to  be  very  attractive.  The  surface  of  the 
covers  of  cloth-bound  books  is  often  much  scraped  and  disfigured,  par- 
ticularly by  the  German  cockroach  (Ectobia  germanica),  and  the  gold 
lettering  is  sometimes  eaten  off  to  get  at  the  albumen  paste.  On  ship- 
board the  damage  is  often  very  extensive,  on  account  of  the  vasl  num- 
bers of  cockroaches  which  frequently  occur  there,  and  we  have  reliable 
accounts  of  entire  supplies  of  ship  biscuits  having  been  eaten  up  or 
ruined  by  roaches. 

The  damage  they  do  is  not  only  in  the  products  actually  consumed, 
but  in  the  soiling  and  rendering  nauseous  of  everything  with  which 
they  come  in  contact.  They  leave,  wherever  they  occur  in  any  num- 
bers, a  fetid,  nauseous  odor,  well  known  as  the  ••  roachj  "  odor,  which 
is  persistent  and  can  not  be  removed  from  shelves  and  dishes  without 
washing  with  soap  and  boiling  water.  Food  supplies  >«>  tainted  are 
beyond  redemption.  This  odor  comes  partly  from  their  excrement,  but 
chiefly  from  a  dark  colored  fluid  exuded  from  the  mouth  of  the  insect, 
with  which  it  stains  its  runways,  and  also  in  part,  doubtless,  from  the 
scent  glands,  which  occur  on  the  bodies  of  both  sexes  between  certain 
segments  of  the  abdomen,  and  which  secrete  an  oily  liquid  possessing 
a  very  characteristic  and  disagreeable  odor.  It  frequently  happens 
that  shelves  on  which  dishes  are  placed  become  impregnated  with  this 
roachy  odor,  and  this  is  imparted  to  and  retained  by  dishes  t«»  Buch  an 
extent  that  everything  served  in  them,  particularly  liquids,  as  coffee  "i 


88  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

tea,  will  be  noticed  to  have  a  peculiar,  disgusting,  foreign  taste  and 
odor,  the  source  of  which  may  be  a  puzzle  and  will  naturally  be  sup- 
posed to  come  from  the  food  rather  than  from  the  dish. 

The  roaches  are  normally  scavengers  in  habit  and  may  at  times  be  of 
actual  service  in  this  direction  by  eating  up  and  removing  any  dead 
animal  material. 

One  other  redeeming  trait  has  been  recorded  of  them,  namely,  that 
they  will  prey  upon  that  other  grievous  pest  of  houses  which  are  not 
subjected  to  careful  supervision,  the  bedbug.  Their  habits  in  this  direc- 
tion have  been  recorded  several  times.  One  writer,  in  a  narrative  of  a 
voyage  (Foster's  Voyage,  Vol.  I,  p.  373),  makes  the  following  statement 
in  this  connection: 

Cockroaches,  those  nuisances  to  ships,  are  plentiful  at  St.  Helena,  and  yet,  bad  as 
they  are,  they  are  more  endurable  than  bugs.  Previous  to  our  arrival  here  in  the 
Chanticleer,  we  had  suffered  great  inconvenience  from  the  latter,  but  the  cockroaches 
no  sooner  made  their  appearance  than  the  bugs  entirely  disappeared.  The  fact  is 
that  the  cockroach  preys  upon  them  and  leaves  no  sign  or  vestige  of  where  they  have 
been.     So  that  it  is  a  most  valuable  insect.1 

The  cockroach  is,  however,  far  too  much  of  a  nuisance  itself  to  war- 
rant its  being  recommended  as  a  means  of  eradicating  even  the  much 
more  disagreeable  insect  referred  to.2 

The  local  spread  of  roaches  from  house  to  house  is  undoubtedly 
often  effected  by  their  being  introduced  with  supplies,  furniture,  goods, 
etc.  That  the  Croton  bug,  or  German  roach,  and  probably  the  other 
species  also,  may  develop  a  migratory  instinct  has  been  witnessed  by 
Dr.  Howard  and  the  writer  in  Washington.  (See  Insect  Life,  Vol. 
VII,  p.  349.) 

This  very  interesting  instance  of  what  seeing  to  have  been  a  true 
migration,  in  which  an  army  of  thousands  of  roaches  by  one  common 
impulse  abandoned  their  old  quarters  and  started  on  a  search  for  a  more 
favorable  location,  illustrates,  as  pointed  out  by  Dr.  Howard,  what  is 
probably  of  frequent  occurrence  under  the  cover  of  darkness,  and 
accounts  for  the  way  in  which  new  houses  frequently  become  suddenly 
overrun  with  these  vermin. 

^roc.  Ent.  Soc.  Lond.,  1855,  N.  S.  3,  p.  77. 

2 The  following  interesting  letter  from  Mr.  Herbert  H.  Smith,  the  collector  and 
naturalist,  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  roach  nuisance  in  the  Tropics : 

"  Cockroaches  are  so  common  in  Brazilian  country  houses  that  nobody  pays  any 
attention  to  them.  They  have  an  unpleasant  way  of  getting  into  provision  boxes, 
and  they  deface  books,  shoes,  and  sometimes  clothing.  Where  wall  paper  is  used 
they  soon  eat  it  off  in  unsightly  patches,  no  doubt  seeking  the  paste  beneath.  But  at 
Corumba,  on  the  upper  Paraguay,  I  came  across  the  cockroach  in  anew  role.  In  the 
house  where  we  were  staying  there  were  nearly  a  dozen  children,  and  every  one  of 
them  had  their  eyelashes  more  or  less  eaten  off  by  cockroaches — a  large  brown  spe- 
cies, one  of  the  commonest  kind  throughout  Brazil.  The  eyelashes  were  bitten  off 
irregularly,  in  some  places  quite  close  to  the  lid.  Like  most  Brazilians,  these  chil- 
dren had  very  long,  black  eyelashes,  and  their  appearance  thus  defaced  was  odd 
enough.  The  trouble  was  confined  to  children,  1  suppose  because  they  are  heavy 
sleepers  and  do  not  disturb  the  insects  at  work.  My  wife  and  I  sometimes  brushed 
cockroaches  from  our  faces  at  night,  but  thought  nothing  more  of  the  matter.  The 
roaches  also  bite  off  bits  of  the  toe  nails.  Brazilians  very  properly  encourage  the 
large  house  spiders,  because  they  tend  to  rid  the  house  of  other  insect  pests." 


COCKROACHES    AND    BOUSE    AHT8.  *(J 


LIFE    BISTOBY, 

The  roach  in  its  different  stages  from  egg  to  adult  shows  compare 
tively  little  variation  in  appearance  or  habits*.     The  young  are  very 
much  like  the  adult,  except  in  point  of  Bize  and   in   lacking  wings,  if 
the  latter  be  winged  in  the  adult   state     In  their  mode  of  ovi position 
they  present,  however,  a  very  anomalous  and  peculiar  habit.     The  - 
instead  of  being  deposited  separately,  as  with  most  other  insects,  are 
brought  together  within  the  abdomen  of  the  mother  into  a  hard,  horny 
pod  or  capsule  which  often  nearly  fills  the  body  of  the  parent    This 
capsule  contains  a  considerable  number  of  eggs,  the  number  varying 
in  the  different  species,  arranged  in  two  rows,  the  position  of  the  • 
being  indicated  on  the  exterior  of  the  capsule  1>\  transverse  lateral 
impressions.     When    fully    formed     and 
charged  with  vgx*  the  capsule   is  often 
partly  extruded  from  the  female  abdomen 
and  retained  in  this  position  sometimes 
for  weeks,  or  until  the  young  larva  are 
ready  to  emerge.     The  capsule  is   oval,    ,,„,  :.,,_.  KjIi: „„,„„.. 
elongate,  or  somewhat  bean  shaped,  and      ameriea  /-,.n.i\i. 

.  „n  -J      „  -i  „         •  11  mi  oral  Bize  indicated   1>\    (ratline  I 

one  of  its  edges  is  usually  serrate.     The      (original) 
young  are  in  some  instances  assisted  to 

escape  by  the  parent,  who  with  her  feet  aids  in  splitting  the  capsule 
on  th^serrate  edge  to  facilitate  their  exit.  On  hatching,  it  is  said,  the 
young  are  often  kept  together  by  the  parent  and  brooded  over  and 
cared  for,  and  at  least  a  colony  of  young  will  usually  be  found  associated 
with  one  or  two  older  individuals.  These  insects  are  more  or  lesa 
garious,  notably  so  in  the  case  of  the  black  beetle  of  Europe  and  to  a 
less  extent  with  the  German  and  American  roaches. 

They  pass  through  a  variable  number  of  molts,  sometimes  as  many 
as  seven,  the  skin  splitting  along  the  back  and  the  insects  coming  out 
white,  soft,  but  rapidly  hardening  and  assuming  the  normal  color. 
Some  astounding  statements  have  been  made  a>  to  the  length  of  time 
required  for  the  development  of  the  roach  from  the  egg  to  the  adult. 
Four  or  five  years  have  been  said  to  be  necessary  for  an  individual  to 
reach  full  growth;  but  more  recent  breeding  experiments  have  not 
altogether  confirmed  these  statements.  Their  development,  however, 
is  unquestionably  slow,  and  probably  under  the  most  favorable  condi 
tions  rarely  is  more  than  one  generation  per  year  produced.  In  colder 
countries  the  breeding  and  growth  are  practically  restricted  to  the 
warm  season.  During  the  winter  months  they  go  into  concealment 
and  partial  hibernation.  Ectobia  germanica  has  been  Bhown  to  teach 
full  growth  in  a  variable  period  from  four  and  a  half  to  sii  months 
(Hummel,  Essais  Entomologiques,  No.  1,  St  Peter-bin-.  1821  .  The 
common  American  roach (Periplaneta  amerioana  has  been  carried  from 
the  egg  to  the  adult  state  in  our  insectary.     Young  hatching  Julj    11 


90  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

from  an  egg  ease  received  from  Eagle  Pass,  Tex.,  reached  the  adult 
stage  befween  March  14  and  June  12  of  the  following-  year,  indicating 
a  period  of  nearly  twelve  months  for  complete  development.  The  rate 
of  growth  of  the  roach  .undoubtedly  depends  very  largely  on  food  and 
temperature,  and  under  unfavorable  conditions  the  time  required  for 
development  may  undoubtedly  be  vastly  lengthened.  The  abundance 
of  roaches  is,  therefore,  apparently  not  accounted  for  so  much  by  their 
rapidity  of  multiplication  as  by  their  unusual  ability  to  preserve 
themselves  from  ordinary  means  of  destruction  and  by  the  scarcity  of 
natural  enemies. 

THE  COMMON  DOMESTIC  ROACHES. 

The  four  roaches  which  have  been  made  the  subject  of  illustrations 
represent  the  species  which  occur  most  commonly  in  houses,  bakeries, 
or  on  shipboard.  The  numerous  tropical  house  species,  many  of  which 
are  perhaps  only  partially  domesticated,  and  the  subarctic  roach  of  high 
altitudes  and  of  the  extreme  north  have  been  omitted. 

The  American  roach  (Periplaneta  americana)  (fig.  38)  is  the  native  or 
indigenous  species  of  this  continent,  originating,  it  is  supposed,  in  trop- 
ical or  subtropical  America. 

The  ancient  and  rather  quaint  account  of  this  insect1  quoted  below 
in  a  footnote  indicates  that  this  species  early  came  to  the  notice 
of  our  forefathers.  Its  domesticity  doubtless  resulted  from  ages  of 
association  with  the  aborigines.  It  has  now  become  thoroughly^gsino- 
politan,  and  is  unquestionably  the  most  injurious  and  annoying  of  the 
species  occurring  on  vessels.  It  is  sometimes  numerous  also  in  green- 
houses, causing  considerable  injury  to  tender  plants.  It  is  a  notorious 
house  pest  and  occasionally  vies  with  the  German  roach  in  its  injuries 
to  book  bindings.  One  of  the  most  serious  cases  of  injury  of  this  sort 
was  reported  by  the  Treasury  Department.  The  backs,  sometimes 
entirely,  of  both  cloth  and  leather  bound  books  were  eaten  off  to  get 
at  the  starchy  paste  used  in  the  binding.    (Insect  Life,  Vol.  I,  p.  67-70.) 

It  is  very  abundant  in  the  Middle  and  Western  States,  where  it  has 
been  until  recently  practically  the  only  troublesome  house  species.  In 
the  East  it  is  not  often  so  common  as  are  one  or  other  of  the  following 
species  and  especially  germanica.  In  foreign  countries  it  has  not  become 
widespread  and  is  largely  confined  to  seaport  towns.     In  size  it  is 

1  The  cockroach. — These  are  very  troublesome  and  destructive  vermin,  and  are  so 
numerous  and  voracious,  that  it  is  impossible  to  keep  Victuals  of  any  kind  from 
being  devoured  by  them,  without  close  covering.  They  are  flat,  and  so  thin  that 
few  chests  or  boxes  can  exclude  them.  They  eat  not  only  leather,  parchment  and 
woollen,  but  linen  and  paper.  They  disappear  in  Winter,  and  appear  most  numer- 
ous in  the  hottest  days  in  Summer.  It  is  at  night  they  commit  their  depredations, 
and  bite  people  in  their  beds,  especially  children's  fingers  that  are  greasy.  They  lay 
innumerable  eggs,  creeping  into  the  holes  of  old  walls  and  rubbish,  where  they 
lie  torpid  all  the  Winter.  Some  have  wings,  and  others  are  without — perhaps  of 
different  Sexes.     (Catesby :  Nat.  Hist.  Carolina,  1748,  Vol.  II,  p.  10. ) 


COCKROACHES    AND    HOUSE    ANTS. 


91 


larger  than  any  of  the  other  domestic  species,  and  it  is  light  brown  in 
color,  the  wings  being  unusually  long,  powerful,  and  well  develo]>ed 
in  both  sexes. 

The  Australian  roach  (Periplaneta  australasia  resembles  \<a\  closeh 
the  last  species,  but  differs  strikingly  in  the  brighter  and  more  deft- 
nitely  limited  yellow  hand  on  the  prothorax  and  in  the  yellow  dash  on 
the  sides  of  the  upper  wings  see  fig.  40).  In  the  United  States  it  is 
the  most  abundant  and  troublesome  species  in  Florida  and  some  of  i  In- 
other  Southern  States.     K  is  already  practically  cosmopolitan. 


/_ 


h 


Fig.  40. — The  Australian  roach  (Periplanet-a  aitstralarice):  a,  male  writli 
wings;  b,  female;  c,  pupa    nil  lil'i  -i/'  (original). 


The  oriental  cockroach,  or  black  beetle  Periplaneta  orient alut),  is  the 
common  European  and  particularly  the  English  species, and  is  notable 
for  the  fact  that  the  female  is  nearly  wingless  in  the  adult  state.  The 
wings  of  the  male  also  are  shortened,  not  reaching  to  the  extremity  of  the 
body.  In  color  it  is  very  dark  brown,  almost  black,  shining,  and  rather 
robust,  much  stouter  than  the  other  species,  making  its  English  name 
of  "black  beetle"  quite  appropriate.  This  species  is  notably  gn  e 
in  habit,  individuals  living  together  in  colonies  in  the  most  amicable 
way,  the  small  ones  being  allowed  by  the  larger  ones  to  sit  <>n  them. 
run  oyer  them,  and  nestle  beneath  them  without  any  resentment  being 
shown.    This  species  was  a  common  and  troublesome  i^-st  in  the  British 


92 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


colonies  early  in  the  eighteenth  centum,  although  unknown  at  the  same 
time  in  the  French  Canadian  possessions.1 

It  then  seemed  to  be  commonly  known   as  the   mill  beetle.     The 
early  Dutch  called  them  Kakerlach,  and  in  the  Swede  settlements  they 

were  known  as  Brodcetare 
(bread  eaters).  It  is  now 
very  common  in  houses  in 
the  East,  but  is  quite  gener- 
ally distributed,  and  is  the 
common  species  even  so  far 
removed  from  the  Atlantic 
seaboard  as  New  Mexico. 
The  characteristics  of  this 
insect  are  shown  in  the 
accompanying  illustration 
(fig.  41). 

The  German  cockroach, 
Ectobia  (Phyllodromia)  ger- 
manica,  is  particularly 
abundant  in  Germany  and 
neighboring  European 
countries,  but,  like  most  of 
the  other  domestic  species, 
has  become  world-wide  in  distribution.  In  this  country  it  is  very  often 
styled  the  Oroton  bug,  this  designation  coming  from  the  fact,  already 
alluded  to,  that  attention  was  first  prominently  drawn  to  it  at  the  time 
of  the  completion  of  the  Croton  system  of  waterworks  in  New  York 
City.  It  had 
probably  been 
introduced  long 
previously,  but 
the  extension  of 
the  waterworks 
system  and  of 
piping  afforded  it 
means  of  ingress 
into  residences, 
and  greatly  en- 
couraged its 
spread  and  facili- 
tated its  multi- 
plication. The  dampness  of  water  pipes  is  favorable  to  it,  and  it  may 
be  carried  by  the  pressure  of  the  water  long  distances  through  the 
pipes  without  injury.  This  roach  has  so  multiplied  in  the  eastern 
United  States  that  it  has  now  become  the  commonest  and  best  known 


Fig.  41.— The  oriental  roach  {Periplaneta  orieyitalis) :  a, 
female;  b,  male;  c,  side  view  of  female;  d,  half-grown 
specimen — all  natural  size  (original). 


Fig.  42. — The  German  roach  (Ectobia  germanica) :  a,  first  stage ;  b,  second 
stage;  c,  third  stage;  d,  fourth  stage  ;  e,  adult;  /,  adult  female  with  egg- 
case;  g,  egg-case — enlarged;  h,  adult  with  wings  spread — all  natural  size 
except  0.     (From  Hiley.) 


i  See  Kalrn's  Travels,  Vol.  I,  p.  321;  II,  p.  256. 


COCKROACHES  AND  HOU8E  1NT8.  03 

of  the  domestic  species,  and  its  injuries  to  Pood  products,  hooks,  etc, 
and  the  disgusting  results  of  its  presence  in  pantries,  storehouses,  and 
bakeries,  give  it  really  a  greater  economic  importance  than  any  of  the 
other  species. 

It  is  very  light  Ix'own  in  color,  and  characteristically  marked  on  the 
thorax  with  two  dark-brown  stripes.  Ii  is  more  active  and  wary  than 
the  larger  species  and  much  more  difficult  to  eradicate.  It  is  the 
smallest  of  the  domestic  species,  rarely  exceeding  five-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  length,  and  multiplies  much  more  rapidly  than  the  others,  the 
breeding  period  being  shorter  and  the  number  of  eggs  in  the  capsules 
greater  than  with  the  larger  roaches.  The  injuries  effected  by  it  to 
cloth-bound  reports  have  been  the  source  of  very  considerable  annoy- 
ance at  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and  in  the  large  libraries  of 
Eastern  towns  and  colleges.  The  characteristics  of  t  he  different  stages, 
from  the  egg  to  the  adult,  are  shown  in  the  illustration    tig.  42), 

REMEDIES. 

Like  the  crows  among  birds,  the  roaches  among  insects  are  appar- 
ently unusually  well  endowed  with  the  ability  to  guard  themselves 
against  enemies,  displaying  great  intelligence  in  keeping  out  of  tin- 
way  of  the  irate  housekeeper  and  in  avoiding  food  or  other  substances 
which  have  been  doctored  with  poisons  for  their  benefit.  Their  keen- 
ness in  this  direction  is  unquestionably  the  inheritance  of  many  ecu 
turies  during  which  the  hand  of  man  has  ever  been  raised  against 
them. 

The  means  against  these  insects,  including  always  vigilance  and 
cleanliness  as  important  preventives,  arc  three,  namely,  destruction  by 
poisons,  by  fumigation  with  poisonous  gases,  and  by  trapping. 

Poisons. — As  just  noted,  roaches  often  seem  to  display  a  knowledge 
of  the  presence  of  poisons  in  food.  and.  notwithstanding  their  practi- 
cally omnivorous  habits,  a  very  little  arsenic  in  baits  seems  t«»  he 
readily  detected  by  them.  In  attempting  to  eradicate  roaches  from 
the  Department  storerooms  where  cloth-hound  books  are  kept  various 
paste  mixtures  containing  arsenic  were  tried,  hut  the  roaches  inva 
riably  refused  to  iVvd  on  them  in  the  least.  This  applies  particularly 
to  the  German  roach,  or  Croton  hug.  and  may  not  hold  BO  strongly 
with  the  less  wary  and  perhaps  less  intelligent  larger  roaches. 

A  common  remedy  suggested  for  roaches  consists  in  the  liberal  OSC  of 
pyrethrum  powder  or  buhach.  and  when  this  is  persisted  in  consider- 
able relief  will  be  gained.  It  is  not  a  perfect  remedy,  however,  and  is 
at  best  but  a  temporary  expedient,  while  it  has  the  additional  disad- 
vantage of  soiling  the  shelves  or  other  objects  over  which  it  is  dusted. 
When  used  it  should  be  fresh  and  liberally  applied.  Roaches  arc  often 
paralyzed  by  it  when  not  killed  outright,  and  the  morning  after  an 
application  the  infested  premises  should  be  gone  over  and  all  the  dead 
or  partially  paralyzed  roaches  swept  up  and  burned. 


94  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

There  are  many  proprietary  substances  which  claim  to  be  fairly 
effective  roach  poisons.  The  usefulness  of  most  of  these  is,  however, 
very  problematical,  and  disappointment  will  ordinarily  follow  their 
application.  The  only  one  of  these  that  has  given  very  satisfactory 
results  is  a  phosphorous  paste,  also  sold  in  the  form  of  pills.  It  prob- 
ably consists  of  sweetened  flour  paste  containing-  phosphorus,  and  is 
spread  on  bits  of  paper  or  cardboard  and  placed  in  the  runways  of  the 
roaches.  It  has  been  used  very  successfully  iu  the  Department  to  free 
desks  from  Croton  bugs,  numbers  of  the  dead  insects  being  found  in  the 
drawers  every  day  during  the  time  the  poison  was  kept  about. 

Fumigation. — Wherever  roaches  infest  small  rooms  or  apartments 
which  may  be  sealed  up  nearly  air-tight,  and  also  on  shipboard,  the 
roach  nuisance  can  be  greatly  abated  by  the  proper  use  of  poisonous 
gases,  notably  bisulphide  of  carbon.  This  substance,  distributed  about 
a  pantry  or  room  in  open  vessels,  will  evaporate,  and,  if  used  iu  suffi- 
cient quantity,  will  destroy  roaches.  Unless  the  room  can  be  very 
tightly  sealed  up,  however,  the  vapor  dissipates  so  rapidly  that  its 
effect  will  be  lost  before  the  roaches  are  killed.  The  hatches  of  ships, 
especially  of  smaller  coasting  vessels,  may  be  battened  down,  a  very 
liberal  application  of  bisulphide  of  carbon  having  been  previously  made 
throughout  the  interior.  If  left  for  twenty-four  hours  the  roaches  and 
all  other  vermin  will  unquestionably  have  been  destroyed.  In  the  use 
of  this  substance  it  must  be  always  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  violently 
explosive  in  the  presence  of  fire,  and  every  possible  precaution  should 
be  taken  to  see  that  no  fire  is  in  or  about  the  premises  during  the  treat- 
ment. It  is  also  deadly  to  higher  animals,  and  compartments  should 
be  thoroughly  aired  after  fumigation.  A  safer  remedy  of  the  same 
nature  consists  in  burning  pyrethrum  in  the  infested  apartment.  The 
smoke  and  vapors  generated  by  the  burning  of  this  insecticide  are 
often  more  effective  in  destroying  roaches  than  the  application  of  the 
substance  in  the  ordinary  way  as  a  powder.  There  is  no  attendant 
danger  of  explosion,  and  the  only  precaution  necessary  is  to  see  that 
the  room  is  kept  tightly  closed  for  from  six  to  twelve  hours.  The  smoke 
of  burning  gunpowder  is  also  very  obnoxious  and  deadly  to  roaches, 
particularly  the  black  English  roach.  On  the  authority  of  Mr.  Theo. 
Pergande,  gunpowder  is  commonly  used  in  Germany  to  drive  these 
roaches  out  of  their  haunts  about  fireplaces.  The  method  consists  in 
molding  cones  of  the  moistened  powder  and  placing  them  in  the  empty 
fireplace  and  lighting  them.  The  smoke  coming  from  the  burning 
powder  causes  the  roaches  to  come  out  of  the  crevices  about  the 
chimney  and  fire  bricks  in  great  numbers,  and  rapidly  paralyzes  or 
kills  them,  so  that  they  may  be  afterwards  swept  up  aud  destroyed. 
This  remedy  will  only  apply  to  old  houses  with  large  fireplaces,  and 
ha$  no  especial  Significance  for  the  modern  house.  It  is  presented, 
however,  as  a  means  applicable  wherever  conditions  similar  to  those 
described  occur. 

Trapping. — Various  forms    of    traps    have   been   very   successfully 


COCKROACHES    AND    HOU8E    AM-.  95 

employed  in  England  and  on  the  continent  of  Europe  as  a  means  of  col- 
lecting and  destroying  roaches.  These  devices  are  all  bo  constructed 
that  the  roaches  may  easily  get  into  bhem  and  can  not  afterwards 
escape.  The  destruction  of  the  roaches  is  effected  either  by  the  Liquid 
into  which  they  fall  or  by  dousing  them  with  hot  water.  A  i.-w  of  the 
common  tonus  of  traps  and  the  methods  of  using  them  arc  here 
described. 

A  French  trap  consists  of  a  box  containing  an  attractive  bait,  tin- 
cover  of  which  is  replaced  by  four  -lass  plates  inclined  toward  the 
center.  The  roaches  fall  from  the  covering  glasses  into  tin-  box  and  are 
unable  to  escape.  A  similar  trap  used  in  England  i>  described  by 
Westwood.  It  consists  of  a  small  wooden  box  in  which  a  circular  bole 
is  cut  in  the  top  and  fitted  with  a  glass  ring,  so  that  it  is  impossible  for 
theroaches  to  escape.  Tins  trap  is  baited  nightly,  ami  tin-  catch  thrown 
each  morning  into  boiling  water.  A  simpler  form  of  trap,  which  I  am 
informed  by  Mr.  F.  C.  Pratt  is  very  successfully  used  in  London.  Eng- 
land, consists  of  any  deep  vessel  or  jar.  against  which  a  number  of 
sticks  are  placed,  ami  bent  over  so  that  they  project  into  the  interior  of 
the  vessel  for  a  few  inches.  The  vessel  is  partially  filled  with  stale  beer 
or  ale,  a  liquid  for  which  roaches  seem  to  have  a  special  fondness.  In 
the  morning  these  vessels  are  found  charged  with  meat  quantities  of 
dead  and  dying  roaches,  which  have  climbed  np  the  inclined  sticks  ami 
slipped  off  into  the  vessel.     We   have  had   tan    BUCCess  with   this   last 

method  against  the  oriental  roach  in  Washington,  but  against  the  i e 

wary  ami  active  Croton  bug  it  seems  less  effective. 

Traps  of  the  sort  described,  placed  in  pantries  or  bakeries,  will  unques- 
tionably destroy  great  quantities  of  roaches,  ami  keep  them,  perhaps, 
more  effectively  in  cheek  than  the  use  of  the  troublesome  insect  powders 
or  the  distribution  of  poisoned  bait,  especially  as  the  latter  are  BO  often 
ineffective. 

NATURAL    ENEMIES    LND    PAB  LSI  l  I 

The  common  European  egg  parasite  of  the  roach, Evania  <i/)/»n<ii 
gaster,i*  now  probably  widely  distributed.  It  occurs  in  the  United 
States  and  has  also  been  ton  ml  in  Cuba.  Unfortunately,  its  usefulness 
is  largely  impaired  by  the  occurrence  of  a  secoudary  parasite,  Entedon 
hagenowiy  which  preys  upon  and  destroys  the  first,  ami  bas  also  been 
introduced  into  this  country  with  it. 

A  correspondent  informs  us  also  that  t  he  common  t  ree  frog  will  clear 
rooms  of  roaches  over  night  very  effectually. 

HOUSE   ANTS 
i  Wonomorium  pkaraonit,  <t  al.) 

There  are  a  number  of  species  of  ants  often  occurring  in  houses,  the 
more  important  of  which  are  common   to  both  hemisphe  an 

probably  of  Old  World  origin.    One  of  these,  the  little  red  ant    Worn 
Hum  pharaonis  Linn.  >,  has  become  thoroughly  domest  icated  and  pa 


96 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


its  entire  existence  in  houses,  having  its  nests  in  the  walls  or  beneath 
the  flooring',  and  usually  forming  its  new  colonies  in  similar  favorable 
situations.  Two  other  ants  are  very  common  nuisances  in  houses, 
namely,  the  little  black  ant  (Monomorium  minutum  Mayr)  and  the 
pavement  ant  of  the  Atlantic  Seaboard  (Tetramorium  ccespitum  Linn.). 
None  of  these  ants  are  so  destructive  to  household  effects  or  supplies 
as  they  are  annoying  from  the  mere  fact  of  their  presence  and  their 
faculty  for  ''getting-  into"  articles  of  food,  particularly  sugars,  sirups, 
and  other  sweets.  Having  once  gained  access  to  stores  of  this  sort, 
the  news  of  the  discovery  is  at  once  conveyed  to  the  colony,  and  in  an 
incredibly  short  time  the  premises  are  swarming  with  these  unwelcome 
visitors. 

In  habits  and  life  history  these  ants  are  all  much  alike,  and,  in  com- 
mon with  other  social  insects,  present  that  most  complex  and  inter- 
esting phase  of  communal  life,  with  its  accompanying  division  of  labor 
and  diversity  of  forms  of  individuals,  all  working  together  in  the  most 

X>erfect  harmony  and  accord.  The  spec- 
imens ordinarily  seen  in  houses  are  all 
neuters,  or  workers.  In  the  colony  itself, 
if  it  be  discovered  and 
opened,  will  be  found 
also  the  larger  wing- 
less females  and,  at 
the  proper  season,  the 
winged  males  and  fe- 
males. During  most 
of  the  year,  however, 
the  colony  consists 
almost  exclusively  of 
workers,  with  one  or 
more  perfect  wingless  females.  Winged  males  and  females  are  pro- 
duced during  the  summer  and  almost  immediately  take  their  nuptial 
night.  The  males  soon  perish,  and  the  females  shortly  afterwards 
tear  off  their  own  wings,  which  are  but  feebly  attached,  and  set  about 
the  establishment  of  new  colonies.  The  eggs,  which  are  produced 
in  extraordinary  numbers  by  the  usually  solitary  queen  mother,  are 
very  minute,  oval,  whitish  objects,  and  are  cared  for  by  the  workers, 
the  young  larvae  being  fed  in  very  much  the  same  way  as  in  the  colo- 
nies of  the  hive  bee.  The  so-called  ant  eggs,  in  the  popular  concep- 
tion, are  not  eggs  at  all,  but  the  white  larvae  and  pupa4,  and,  if  of 
females  or  males,  are  much  larger  than  the  workers  and  many  times 
larger  than  the  true  eggs. 

As  a  house  species  the  red  ant  (Monomorium  pharaonis  Linn.)  (fig.  43) 
is  the  common  one.  It  is  practically  cosmopolitan,  and  its  exact  origin 
is  unknown.  This  species,  nesting  habitually  in  the  walls  of  houses  or 
beneath  flooring,  is  often  difficult  to  eradicate.     There  is  no  means  of 


Fig.  43. — The  red  ant   (Monomorium    pharaonis) 
worker— enlarged  (from  Riley). 


a,    female ;   b, 


COCKROACHES   AND    HOUSE    ANT8 


''7 


doing  this  except  to  locate  the  nest  by  following  the  workers  back  to 
their  point  of  entrance,  [f  h,  a  wall  the  inmates  maj  sometimes  be 
reached  by  injecting  bisulphide  of  carbon  oralittle  kerosene,  [f  under 
flooring  it  may  sometimes  be  possible  to  gel  at  them  by  taking  up  a 
section.  Unless  the  colony  can  be  reached  and  destroyed  all  other 
measures  will  be  of*  only  temporary  avail. 

The  little  black  ant  (Monomoriumminutum  Mayr)(flg.  11   is  not  Btrictly 
a  house  species,  although  frequently  occurring  indoors,  and  becomii 
times  quite  as  troublesome  as  the  red  ant.     Its  colonies  asually  occur 
under  stones  in  yards,  bul  arc  frequently  found  in  the  fields,  and  will 
be  recognized  from  the  little  pyramids  of  fine  grains  of  soil  which  sui- 


Fie. 44.— The  little  black  ant  (Monomortum  minutum):  a.  female;  b,  sane  with  wings ; 
workers;  e,  pupa;/,  larva;  p,  egg  of  worker— all  enlarged  (original). 


mali  i  «/. 


round  the  entrances  to  the  excavations.     If  these  colonies  be  opened 
they  will  be  found   to  contain  workers  and   usually  one  or  more  very 
much  larger  gravid  females.     This  species,  when  occurring  in  hoc 
can  often  be  traced  to  its  outdoor  colony,  and  the  destruction  of  this 
will  prevent  farther  trouble. 

The  pavement  ant  of  our  Eastern  cities  Tetramorium  otespitum  Linn.) 
(fig.  46)  is  in  Europe  the  common  meadow  am.  and  is  t  worn-  three  nines 
larger  than  either  of  the  other  species  referred  to.  h  was  earl}  intro- 
duced into  this  country,  and.  while  Dot  yet  reported  from  the  w  eat,  is 
very  common  in  Eastern  towns,  and  particularly  here  in  Washington. 
It  has  readily  accommodated  itself  to  the  condil  ions  of  urban  exist 
2805— No.  4 7 


98 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


and  commonly  lias  its  colonies  under  pavements,  where  it  is  often  diffi- 
cult of  access,  or  beneath  nagging  or  stones  in  yards.  It  is  often  a  more 
persistent  and  pestilent  house  nuisance  than  the  true  house  ant. 

This  seems  to  be  the  species  referred  to  by  Kalm1  in  1748  as  often 
occurring  in  houses  in  Philadelphia  and  manifesting  a  great  fondness 
for  sweets.  He  records  also  some  interesting  experiments  made  by 
Mr.  (Benjamin  ?)  Franklin,  indicating  the  ability  of  these  ants  to  commu- 
nicate with  one  another. 

The  colonies  of  the  pavement  ant  are  often  large,  and  they  may  fre- 
quently be  uncovered  in  masses  of  a  quart  or  more  on  turning  over 
stones  in  yards  or  lifting  flagging  in  paths. 

This  ant  may  be  often  with  little  difficulty  traced  to  its  nest,  which, 
if  accessible,  or  not  thoroughly  protected  by  unbroken  pavement,  as  of 


Fig.  45.— The  pavement  ant  (Tetramorium  ccespitum):  a,  winged  female;  &,  same  without  wings; 
c,  male;  d,  worker;  e,  larva  of  female;  /,  head  of  same;  g,  pupa  of  same— all  enlarged  (original). 

asphalt,  can  be  rather  easily  exterminated.  So  well  established  is  the 
species,  however,  that  new  colonies  will  usually  soon  take  the  place  of 
those  destroyed. 

Drenching  the  nests  with  boiling  water  or  saturating  them  with  coal 
oil,  which  latter  also  may  be  introduced  into  cracks  in  pavements  or 
walls,  are  effective  means  of  abating  the  nuisance  of  this  ant. 

There  are  several  other  ants  closely  resembling  this  last,  mostly 
species  of  Lashes,  some  foreign  and  some  native,  which  form  large 
colonies  in  yards,  throwing  up  earthen  ant  hills,  beneath  which  are 
extensive  systems  of  underground  galleries.  These  may  often  get  into 
near-by  houses  and  become  quite  as  troublesome  as  the  ants  already 
mentioned. 

Excellent  success  has  been  had  in  destroying  these  ants  with  the  use 
of  bisulphide  of  carbon  applied  in  their  nests.  The  method  consists  in 
pouring  an  ounce  or  two  of  the  bisulphide  into  each  of  a  number  of 


Kalm's  Travels,  Vol.  I,  p.  238. 


COCKROACH KS    AND    HOUSE    ANTS. 

holes  made  in  the  nest  with  a  stick,  promptly  closing  the  holes  with  the 
foot.  The  bisulphide  penetrates  through  the  underground  tnnnels 
and  kills  the  ants  in  enormous  numbers,  and  if  applied  with  sufficient 
liberality  will  exterminate  the  whole  colony. 

Whenever  the  nests  of  any  of  these  ants  can  not  !><•  located,  then 
no  other  resource  but  the  temporary  expedient  of  destroying  them 
wherever  they  occur  in  the  house.  The  best  means  of  effecting  this 
end  is  to  attract  them  to  small  bits  of  sponge  moistened  with  sweetened 
water  and  placed  in  the  situations  where  they  arc  m08t  DUmerous. 
These  sponges  may  be  collected  several  times  dailj  aud  the  ante 
swarming  in  them  destroyed  by  immersion  in  hot  water.  It  is  reported 
also  that  a  sirup  made  by  dissolving  borax  and  sugar  in  boiling  \ 
will  effect  the  destruction  of  the  ants  readily  and  in  numbers.  The 
removal  of  the  attracting  substances,  wherever  practicable,  should 
always  be  the  first  step. 


CHAPTEK  VII. 
SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEESE,  HAMS,  FRUIT,  AND  VINEGAR. 

By  L.  O.  Howard. 


THE    CHEESE,    HAM,    AND    FLOUR    MITES. 

{Tyroglyphus  long'wr  L.  and  T.  siro  Gerv.) 

Very  minute,  more  or  less  colorless,  eight-legged  creatures  swarm  in 
numbers  over  and  in  old  cheese  and  various  stored  products,  such  as 
dried  meats,  dried  fruit,  vanilla,  and  flonr  of  different  kinds.  The 
species  may  be  distinguished  by  the  illustrations.     Tyroglyplius  Jongior 


Fig.  IS. —Tyroglyphus  longior :  a,  female;  b,  male— greatly  enlarged  (after  Canestrim). 

is  more  rapid  in  its  movements,  larger  in  size,  with  longer  and  more  cyl- 
indrical body,  and  longer  and  more  numerous  shining  hairs  sticking  out 
on  the  sides.  The  two  species  are  frequently  found  feeding  in  common. 
Both  species  are  common  to  Europe  and  the  United  States,  and  both 
have  probably  been  carried  to  all  parts  of  the  world  in  food  supplies. 
100  ^ 


SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEESE,   HAMS,  FRUIT,   ETC.        101 


Aristotle  knew  the  cheese  mites  and  spoke  of  them  as  the  smallest 
of  living  creatures.  Many  subsequent  writers  have  agured  them  and 
mentioned  them,  but  the  full  life  history  was  not  Known  until  L868, 
when  Claparede  determined  that  the  genus  Eyi>opns  was  composed  of 
forms  which  are  steps  in  the  development  of  true  t  \  roglyphids. 

All  through  the  summer  months,  and  in  warm  houses  during  the 
winter  months,  these  creatures  breed  with  astonishing  rapidity  and 
fecundity.  The  rapidity  of  multiplication  and  the  extraordinary  num- 
bers in  which  these  mites  will  occur  under  favorable  conditions  are 
almost  incredible.  In  1882  T.  longior  was  found  in  an  Ohio  packing 
house,  covering  the  dried  and  packed  refuse  (ready  for  sale  as  a  fertil- 
izer) in  a  layer  which  in  some  places  was  hall' an  inch  in  thicknos.  At 
a  low  estimate  1  square  inch  of  such  a  layer  would  contain  100,000  indi 
viduals.  The  females  bring  forth  their  young  alive,  and  these  in  turn 
reach  full  growth  and  reproduce,  until  a 
cheese,  once  infested  by  a  few,  swarms  with 
the  crawling-  multitude,  which  cause  its  solid 
mass  to  crumble  and  become  mixed  with 
excremental  pellets  and  cast-off  skins. 
Through  the  summer  months  the  mites  are 
soft  bodied  and  have  comparatively  feeble 
powers  of  locomotion,  and  when  they  have 
become  numerous  enough  to  devour  the 
whole  of  a  cheese,  with  no  other  food  at 
hand,  it  was  for  a  long  time  a  puzzle  to  know 
what  became  of  them  and  to  understand 
how  a  cheese  could  become  affected  wit  hoi  it 
contact  with  another  infested  cheese  or 
without  being  placed  in  an  infested  room.  It 
has  been  ascertained,  however,  that  when 
necessity  requires  it,  and  when  the  insects 
happen  to  be  in  the  proper  stage  of  growth, 
they  have  the  power  of  not  only  almost  indefinitely  prolonging  e 
ence,  but  of  undergoing  a  complete  change  of  form,  acquiring  hard, 
brown  protective  coverings  into  which  all  of  the  legs  can  be  drawn  in 
repose.  Back  in  Van  Leeuwenhoek's  time  this  Dutch  naturalist  showed 
that  even  the  softer  form  can  undergo  a  fast  of  eleven  weeks  without 
apparent  discomfort,  and  it  is  now  known  that  in  the  hard-shell  or 
Bypopus  state  it  may  remain  for  many  mouths  without  food. 

Jn  the  majority  of  cases,  however,  w  here  a  given  cheese  is  completely 
destroyed,  all  of  the  young  and  old  mites  perish  and  only  those  of 
middle  age  which  are  ready  to  take  on  the  Bypopus  condition  survive. 
These  fortunate  survivors,  possessing  their  souls  with  patience,  retire 
into  their  shells  and  fast  and  wait,  and  as  everything  comes  to  him  who 
waits,  some  lucky  day  a  mouse  or  house  fly  or  some  other  insect  comes 
that  way,  and  the  little  mite  clings  to  it  and  is  carried  away  to   g 


lii.   47.     Tyroglyph 
greatly  en] 


102  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

spot  where  another  cheese  or  food  in  some  other  form  is  at  hand.  It 
is  in  this  way,  as  well  as  by  the  more  readily  understood  means,  that 
new  eheese  becomes  infested  and  that  the  insect  makes  its  appearance 
in  pantries  supposed  to  be  perfectly  clean. 

REMEDIES   AND    PREVENTIVE   MEASURES. 

When  we  consider  the  great  hardihood  and  extreme  tenacity  of  life 
of  this  insect  in  the  Hypopus  condition,  and  the  fact  that  almost  every 
flying  or  crawling  thing  may  become  its  common  carrier,  the  difficulty 
of  disinfecting  a  storeroom  and  of  keeping  it  disinfected  becomes  very 
plain.  Nothing,  in  fact,  but  the  utmost  cleanliness  and  watchfulness 
will  prevent  the  appearance  of  the  mites.  When  they  have  once  entered 
a  cheese,  for  example,  there  is  no  remedy  except  to  cut  out  the  infested 
portions.  All  energies  must  be  bent  toward  prevention.  If  a  given 
room  seems  to  be  badly  infested  it  should  be  cleaned  out,  fumigated 
with  sulphur,  and  washed  out  thoroughly  with  kerosene  emulsion. 
Food  supplies  liable  to  be  infested  should  be  inspected  daily  during 
hot  weather. 

It  is  a  point  of  considerable  interest  and  of  some  practical  account 
that  there  often  occur,  where  these  mites  are  present  in  numbers,  one  or 
more  species  of  predaceous  mites  which  feed  exclusively  on  the  injurious 
individuals  and  tend  to  greatly  lessen  their  numbers.  Some  years  ago 
a  gentleman  in  Milwaukee  sent  the  writer  some  thousands  of  mites 
which  were  found  in  a  bin  of  wheat  in  an  old  elevator.  They  occurred 
in  such  numbers  that  every  morning  a  quart  or  more  could  be  swept 
up  below  the  spout  where  they  had  sifted  out.  An  examination  of 
specimens  sent  showed  that  three  species  of  predaceous  mites  were 
present  among  the  others,  and  one  of  them  was  so  numerous  that  there 
was  no  hesitation  in  writing  to  the  Milwaukee  gentleman  that  the  pre- 
daceous mites  would  probably  soon  destroy  the  wheat  feeders  and  thus 
the  pest  of  mites  would  correct  itself.  The  prediction  was  speedily 
verified  in  part  a  week  or  so  later,  when  the  correspondent  wrote:  '-As 
you  say,  the  parasitic  mites  have  largely  destroyed  the  smaller  ones, 
and  I  suppose  when  their  food  is  all  gone  they  will  die  of  starvation." 

THE    CHEESE    SKIPPER  OR   HAM   SKIPPER. 

{Piophila  easel  Linn.) 

A  small,  glistening,  black,  two-winged  fly  lays  its  eggs  on  cheese, 
smoked  ham,  and  chipped  beef.  The  eggs  hatch  into  small  white  cylin- 
drical maggots  which  feed  upon  the  cheese  or  meat  and  rapidly  reach 
full  growth,  at  which  time  they  are  one-fifth  of  an  inch  in  length.  The 
maggot  is  commonly  called  "  skipper"  from  its  wonderful  leaping  pow- 
ers, which  it  possesses  in  common  with  certain  other  fly  larvae,  all  of 
which  are  devoid  of  legs.  The  leap  is  made  by  bringing  the  two  ends 
of  the  body  together  and  suddenly  releasing  them  like  a  spring.  In 
this  way  it  will  sometimes  jump  3  or  4  inches. 


SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEESE,   HAMS,   FRUIT,   ETC.         103 

This  insect,  like  so  many  other  household  species,  is  cosmopolitan, 
and  was  doubtless  originally  imported  from  Europe  into  the  CJnited 
States. 

Careful  observations  on  the  life  history  of  this  Bpecie  have  been 
made  by  several  writers.  In  L892  Miss  M.  E.  .Miutirl.lt.  whose  atten 
tion  was  called  to  the  species  on  account  of  the  .meat  damage  which  it 
was  represented  to  be  doing  iu  certain  western  packing  and  curing 
establishments,  studied  the  life  historj  of  the  summer  generation.1 
The  eggs  were  shown  by  Miss  Murtfeldt  to  be  deposited  in  moreoi  less 
compact  clusters  of  from  5  to  L5,  and  also  scattered  Bingly.  In  her 
observation  jars  the  average  number  was  30  to  a  single  female,  but  ii  is 
possible  that  under  these  abnormal  conditions  t  he  number  was  Bmaller 


i  ■  ■  .—I'iojihiltl  crtxn'  :    (I,   larva;    h,   pupa  li  1 1  Til  ;    <\   pupa:    '/.   Iliali-lly:    »',   female  with  wind's  foldo 

enlarged  (original). 

than  usual.  The  egg  is  white,  slender,  oblong,  slightly  curved,  1  mm. 
in  length,  with  a  diameter  of  about  one-fourth  its  length.  Batching 
takes  place  within  thirty  six  hours.  The  larva  is  cylindrical,  tapering 
gradually  toward  anterior  end.  and  truncate  posteriorly,  furnished  at 
hinder  extremity  with  two  horny  projecting  stigmata  and  a  pair  of 
fleshy  ti  la  ments.  The  larva  completes  its  growth  in  from  seven  to  eight 
days,  attaining  a  length  of  from  7  to  9  mm.  While  feeding,  if  the  food 
supply  is  sufficient  it  does  not  move  about  much,  entire  clustei 
larva'  often  completing  their  growth  in  the  same  crevice  in  which  the 
mother  flies  deposited  their  eggs.  When  mature,  however,  it  moves 
away  to  some  dry  spot,  contracts  in  length,  assumes  a  yellow  ish  color, 
and  gradually  forms  into  a  golden-brown  puparium  l  or5  mm.  in  lengl  h. 

[naect  Life,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  L70-175. 


104  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

Iii  ten  days  the  adult  fly  issues.  Miss  Murtfeldt  was  unable  to  make 
the  fly  lay  its  eggs  on  fresh  meat  of  any  kind,  nor  did  she  find  that  it 
was  able  to  breed  upon  meat  which  was  simply  salty.  The  average 
duration  of  adult  larvae,  according  to  her  observations,  does  not  exceed 
a  week,  and  thus  the  entire  life  cycle  maybe  concluded  in  three  weeks. 
These  observations  were  made  in  August. 

During  February  of  the  same  year  specimens  of  the  same  insect  were 
sent  by  a  Kansas  packing  house  to  Mr.  V.  L.  Kellogg,  then  of  the 
Kansas  State  University.  At  that  time  of  the  year  his  breeding  notes 
show  that  the  egg  state  occupied  about  four  days,  the  larva  state  about 
two  weeks,  and  the  pupa  state  one  week.1  The  adults  lived  in  the 
breeding  jars  from  six  days  to  two  weeks  after  issuing  from  the  puparia. 
Larva3  kept  with  ham  and  bacon  did  not  take  at  all  kindly  to  cheese 
to  which  they  were  removed.  Careful  observations  on  the  life  history  in 
Europe  have  been  made  by  Dr.  H.  F.  Kessler.2  Dr.  Kessler  found  that 
the  average  time  in  developing  from  the  egg  to  the  adult  is  four  to  five 
weeks,  with  two  or  three  generations  during  the  summer,  the  last 
generation  occurring  in  September,  the  larva  over-wintering  in  the 
puparium  and  transforming  to  pupa  in  May.  Other  writers  say  that 
the  insect  passes  the  winter  in  the  adult  stage. 

As  a  cheese  insect  in  this  country  this  fly  does  not  play  as  impor- 
tant a  role  as  it  does  as  an  enemy  to  smoked  meat.  It  is  a  matter  of 
observation  that  the  mother  fly  seems  to  prefer  the  older  and  richer 
cheeses  in  which  to  deposit  eggs.  Her  taste  is  excellent,  and  while 
it  is  a  fair  thing  to  say  that  "  skippery  "  cheese  is  usually  the  best,  it 
will  hardly  do  to  support  the  conclusion  that  it  is  good  because  it  is 
"  skippery,"  although  this  conclusion  is  current  among  a  certain  class 
of  cheese  eaters.  With  the  abundance  of  the  species  in  packing- 
houses we  have  nothing  to  do  in  this  connection.  When  occurring 
upon  hams  it  seems  to  prefer  the  outer  fatty  portions. 

REMEDIES. 

All  that  we  have  said  of  the  preventives  for  the  cheese  and  meat 
mites  will  answer  equally  well  for  the  "  skipper."  Portions  of  cheese 
and  hams  attacked  should  be  cut  out,  shelves  of  pantries  should  be 
kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  the  kerosene-emulsion  wash  used  when  it 
has  once  been  determined  that  the  insect  is  present  in  numbers.  Every 
crack  should  be  carefully  washed  out,  since  the  puparia  might  be  found 
in  such  situations.  Close  screening  of  the  windows  of  pantries  is 
advised  to  keep  out  the  fly. 

1  Trans.  Kana.  Acad.  Sci.,  Vol.  XIII,  114-115. 

2  Bericht  d.  Ver.  f.  Naturk.  z.  Gassel,  Vols.  XXIX  u.  XXX,  pp.  58-60. 


SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEESE,   HAMS,   I'kllT,  ETC.        105 


THE    RED-LEGGED    HAM    BEETLE. 
(Necrobia  rufipes  I U 

Two  or  three  species  of  small  beel  les  belonging  bo  t  lie  family  <  'leridffi, 
and  which  are  normally  scavengers,  feed  occasionally  upon  dried  meats 
and  other  stored  animal  products.  The  mosl  abundant  one  in  this 
country  is  the  species  indicated  in  the  title.  It  is  a  small,  ratlin  slen 
der  beetle  of  dark  bluish  color,  with  reddish  legs,  [ts  iai  \  a  is  a  Blender 
worm,  and  is  at  first  white,  with  a  brown  head  and  two  small  books  at 
the  end  of  the  body.  As  it  becomes  older  it  becomes  darker,  and  when 
full  grown  is  grayish  white,  with  a  series  of  brown  patches  above.  It 
is  then  rather  more  than  one-half  an  inch  in  length  and  transforms 
within  a  paper-like  cocoon.     From  the  appearance  of  this  cocoon  the 

insect   has   become  known 

as  the  "paper  worm"  to 

dealers  in  hams  ami  dried 
meat-. 

\  ecrobia  rufipes  is  a  cos- 
mopolitan Species,  OCCUT 
ring  all  over  the  l baited 

States,  in  Europe,  Austra- 
lia. Africa,  ami    the    East 

Indie-.    It  is  hardly  a  Bpe 

cies  that  causes  acoii>tant 

drain  upon  the  profits  <>f 
the  trade,  but  occasion- 
ally, under  exceptional 
circumstances,  it  becomes 
extremely  abundant,  ami 
may  ruin  many  hams.  It 
uncommon,  and  is  particularly  abundant  in  the  West 


'$& 


Pio.  49. — Neerdbia  rufipes:  (/.larva;  b,  head 
of. same:  c,  aduli   beetle    ".  <\  enlarged; 
itly  enlarged  (original). 


is  by  no  meant 
and  South. 

The  injuries  caused  by  this  insect  are  generally  due  to  careless  pack- 
ing of  hams  or  to  the  accidental  cutting  or  cracking  or  even  to  a  con- 
siderable stretching  or  fraying  of  the  canvas  covering. 

As  indicated  above,  this  insect  is  not  confined  to  hams  tor  it8  food,  but 
lives  upon  other  dead  animal  matter,  not  always  waiting,  however,  as  do 
certain  other  insects,  for  decomposition  to  set  in  before  beginning 
attacks.    The  beetle,  appearing  in  May  or  dune.  <  it  her  having  bred  in 
the  storehouse  or  storeroom   in  question,  or  having  tlowu   in   from  the 
outside, is  attracted  to  the  hams,  and  wherever  it  can  find  thesligl 
bit  of  exposed  meat  it  lays  a  number  of  minute,  narrow,  whitish  e 
Such  hams  as  have  been  injured  by  overheating  or  by  hanging  too  long 
in  the  sun,  from  rain,  and  particularly  tho^c  which  have  become  slimy 

from  lying  too  long  in  the   pile,  are  those  which  attract    it   most  ;  but  it 
never  seems  to  lay  eggs  except  where  the  meat  is  more  or  less  exposed, 


106  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

or,  at  all  events,  if  it  does  lay  the  eggs,  the  young  grubs,  on  hatching, 
fail  to  reach  the  meat,  except  where  they  are  not  obliged  to  penetrate 
the  canvas. 

The  larva'  hatch  in  a  few  days  and  burrow  into  the  fatty  tissue  near 
the  rind,  growing  rapidly,  and  seeming  to  congregate,  by  preference, 
in  the  hollow  of  the  bone  at  the  butt  end  of  the  ham.  As  stated  above, 
they  are,  when  first  hatched,  white  in  color,  with  a  brown  head  and  two 
small  hooks  at  the  end  of  the  body.  They  are  slender  and  very  active, 
and  upon  reaching  full  growth  they  either  gnaw  into  the  muscle  of  the 
ham  or  occasionally  eat  into  a  neighboring  beam,  forming  a  glistening, 
paper-like  cocoon,  which  appears  granulated  on  the  outside.  Within 
this  cocoon  the  larva  casts  its  skin  and  assumes  the  pupa  state,  issuing 
as  a  perfect  beetle  in  a  longer  or  a  shorter  time.  According  to  Dr. 
Kiley,  who  treated  this  species  in  his  Sixth  lleport  on  the  Insects  of 
Missouri  (p.  96),  there  are  several  generations  in  the  course  of  a  year 
at  St.  Louis,  but  the  winter  is  invariably  passed  in  the  larval  condition, 
the  first  beetles  appearing,  as  previously  stated,  not  earlier  than  the 
1st  of  May,  and  usually  not  before  the  middle  of  that  month.1 

REMEDIES 

The  only  remedies  which  need  be  insisted  upon  in  case  of  customary 
damage  to  ham  by  this  insect  are  the  early  and  very  careful  packing  of 
the  hams  and  the  use  of  strong  canvas,  impenetrable  by  the  insect,  and 
which  is  not  likely  to  fray  or  break.  These  measures  are  the  direct 
result  of  the  knowledge  of  the  life  history  of  the  insect. 

Two  instances  in  the  experience  of  Dr.  Eiley  are  of  sufficient  interest 
to  deserve  specific  mention.  In  1871  and  in  previous  years  the  firm  of 
Francis  Whittaker  &  Sons,  of  St.  Louis,  had  suffered  serious  loss  from 
the  damage  done  by  this  beetle.  After  an  investigation  of  the  facts 
they  were  advised  that  all  of  the  canvasing  on  the  hams  should  be  done 
earlier  than  was  customary,  or  prior  to  the  first  of  May,  and  also  that  a 
heavier  canvas  be  used,  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  its  giving  way 
upon  the  small  ends.  This  advice  was  followed,  with  the  result  that 
during  the  ensuing  year  not  a  single  ham  was  lost  or  returned  by  a 
customer  on  account  of  worms. 

The  second  case  was  that  of  S.  S.  Pierce,  of  Boston,  who,  in  May. 
1873,  received  22  tierces  of  hams  from  a  Cincinnati  firm.  The  hams 
were  taken  from  the  casks  and  hung  in  the  loft,  and  not  examined  until 
August,  when  they  were  found  to  be  full  of  worms.  Claim  was  made 
on  the  packers  for  damages,  and  it  was  finally  agreed  to  leave  the 
matter  to  referees,  who  were  selected  from  prominent  packers,  and  who 
decided  in  favor  of  the  Cincinnati  firm.     The  fact  is,  however,  as  could 

]Mr.  Schwarz  states  that  lie  has  found  the  adult  beetles  in  the  dead  of  winter  in 
Detroit,  Mich.,  and  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  calls  our  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
species  is  recorded  by  II.  T.  Fay  in  bis  article  on  winter  collecting  (Proc.  Entoin. 
JSoe.  Phil.,  Vol.  I,  p.  197, 1862). 


SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEE8E,  II  wis,  FRUIT,  ETC.        107 

readily  have  been  shown  had  nn  expert  entomologist  been  called  in. 
that  if  the  covering  of  the  hams  was  sound,  and  had  been  kepi  intact 
while  i;i  the  hands  of  the  Boston  firm,  as  seems  to  have  been  proven 
by  them,  the  eggs  must  have  been  laid  before  the  hams  le  i  <  Jincinnati. 
The  difference  in  climate  between  Cincinnati  and  Boston  would 
give  added  weight  to  the  Boston  claim.  The  lack  of  knowledge  of  the 
actual  facts  governing  t  lie  case  is  shown  by  the  writ  ten  opinion  of  one 
of  the  packing  experts,  who  stated  that,  whereas  the  Cincinnati  firm  had 
previously  used  manila  paper  in  packing  t  heir  hams,  t  hey  had  begun  to 
use  husk,  which  was  "very  likely  to  contain  the  germ  from  which  the 
worm  is  bred." ! 

The  insect  is  hardly  a  factor  in  housekeeping  except  in  the  country, 
where  a  farmer  may  put  up  a  small  number  of  hams  for  home  consump- 
tion during  the  ensuing  year.     In  ordinary  households  a  wormy  ham 

need  only  be  returned  to -the  dealer  from  whom  it   was  bun-lit. 

THE  LARDER  BEETLE. 
1  ><  rmesiea  lardarius  I. inn. 

A  dark-brown  beetle  of  the  Bhape  illustrated  in  the  figure,  with  a 

pale,  yellowish-brown  band  containing  six  black  dots  across  the  upper 
half  of  the  wing  covers,  three-tenths  of  an  inch  in  Length.  The  larva 
is  brown  and  hairy,  tapers  from  head  to  tail,  and  is  furnished  with 
two  short,  curved,  horny  spines  on  top  of  the  las!  .joint  of  tie-  body. 
It  is  a  common  museum  pest,  and  is  found  in  many  kinds  of  animal 
food  products,  such  as  hams,  bacon,  and  other  kinds  of  meat,  old  c 
(of  which  it  seems  to  la'  especially  foud),  horn,  hoofs.  skin<.  beeswax, 
silkworm  cocoons,  feathers,  and  hair.  It  has  never  been  recorded  as 
damaging  woolen  cloth,  ami  its  popular  name,  "larder"  or  ••bacon"' 
beetle,  is  a  very  appropriate  one. 

The  insect  has  long  been  known   in    the   United  State.-.     It   is  also 
found  in  all  parts  of  Europe  and  in  Asia.     It  is  considered  by  Dr.  Ham 
llton  to  be  probably  a  native  of  the  United  Slates  as  well  as  introduced 
by  commerce.     It  seems  to  ocean- in  all  parts  of  this  country. 

There  are  recorded  no  fall  and  definite  statements  regarding  the  life 
history  of  this  species,  ami  we  have  made  no  observations  which  will 
enable  us  to  give  the  length  of  life,  duration  of  different  .  and 

other  facts  of  equal  interest.  Under  favorable  conditions,  however, 
the  insect  is  unquestionably  a  rapid  breeder.  Miss  Caroline  E,  ET< 
tis,  of  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  in  the  August  L878  number  of  the 
Canadian  Entomologist,  states  that  live  weeks  after  placing  a  female 
in  a  glass  jar.  with  a  piece  of  meat,  she  found  a  large  and  flourishing 
colony  of  larva',  mo^t  of  them  full  grown.  Dr.  G.  II.  Horn,  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Entomological  Society  of  Philadelphia  Vol.  I.  1801, 
]).  28),  states  that  the  inject  remains  in  the  pupa  condition  for  ;i  pel  iod 
varying  from  three  or  four  days  to  a  week,  or  even  more,  depending 
principally  on  the  warmth  of  the  locality.     Prom  this  statement  w< 


108 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


that  an  entire  generation  may  be  developed  in  six  weeks.  Therefore, 
the  increase  of  the  insect  may  be  very  rapid  and  there  may  be  four  or 
five  generations  annually.  The  larva,  when  feeding  upon  dried  and 
smoked  meat,  according  to  Dr.  Horn,  is  usually  seen  creeping  on  the 
surface  of  the  meat.  For  food  it  prefers  such  as  contains  fat  and  con- 
nective tissue,  seldom  attacking  the  muscular  portions.  It  does  not 
bury  itself  in  its  food  until  about  the  time  of  assuming  the  pupa  state. 
In  general,  the  beetles  make  their  way  into  houses  in  May  and  June, 
and  at  once  deposit  their  eggs  on  their  favorite  food  if  they  can  obtain 
access  to  it.  Where  this  is  impossible  they  will  lay  their  eggs,  as  will 
other  beetles  of  the  same  family,  near  small  cracks,  so  that  the  young 


Fig.  50. — Dermestes  lardarius  :  a,  larva;  6,  pupa;  c,  adult  beetle — all  enlarged  (original). 

larvae  when  hatched  can  crawl  through.  Dr.  Riley,  in  his  Sixth  Mis- 
souri Report,  states  that  fresh  hams  are  not  so  liable  to  attack  by  this 
insect  as  are  those  which  are  tainted  or  injured. 


REMEDIES. 

Where  a  storeroom  is  overrun  with  this  insect  its  contents  should  be 
cleared  out,  so  far  as  practicable,  and  the  room  should  either  be  sprayed 
with  benzine  or  subjected  to  strong  fumes  of  bisulphide  of  carbon. 
Where  an  article  of  diet  such  as  a  ham,  has  begun  to  be  infested,  the 
affected  portion  should  be  cut  away  and  the  surface  should  be  washed 
with  a  very  dilute  carbolic  solution.  Miss  Lleustis,  in  the  article  above- 
mentioned,  showed  that  tallow  was  very  offensive  and  destructive  to 
this  insect,  but  there  is  seldom  a  case  where  this  interesting  bit  of 
knowledge  can  be  utilized.  Dr.  Hagen,  Avhen  he  first  came  to  Cam- 
bridge, found  his  office  overrun  with  this  insect.     On  a  sunny  day  in 


SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEESE,   NAM-.   FRUIT,  ETC.        109 

November  the  southern  outer  wall  was  speckled  with  them.  1 1 « •  suc- 
ceeded in  ridding  the  establishment  by  trapping  them  day  after  day 
with  a  piece  of  cheese.  The  cheese  proved  to  be  extremely  attractive, 
and  he  destroyed  them  by  hand  two  or  three  times  a  day  until  be  had 
practically  exterminated  them.  Shortly  after  the  introduction  of  the 
Pasteur  system  of  silkworm  moth  inspection  for  pebrine  in  Prance, 
according  to  Maurice  Girard,  great  damage  was  done  by  this  I  >ermestid, 

Which  attacked  lirst    the  bodies  of  the  ninths  as  they  were  attached  to 

theiregg  receptacles.  They  laid  their  eggs  in  the  moths,  and  their  larva? 
lirst  ate  the  bodies  and  afterwards  the  silkworm  eggs  themselves,  thus 
occasioning  in  1871  at  Pont  Gisquel  a  loss  of  one- third  of  the  egg  crop. 
The  remedial  measures  adopted  were  t<>  screen  the  windows  with  a  very 
fine  wiie  gauze  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  beetles  and  afterwards  to 
submit  the  rooms  to  fumigation  wit  h  bisulphide  of  carbon  or  corrosive 
sublimate. 

An  interesting  ease  of  damage  to  bacon  was  mentioned  by  Dr.  Lint- 
ner  in  the  Cultivator  and  Country  Gentleman  for  June  26,  L884.  An 
individual  in  Walkersville,  MxL,  had  found  bacon  hung  up  in  paper 
meat  sacks  the  1st  of  March  affected  with  beetles,  and  larva?  later  in 
the  season,  presumably  in  June.  The  beetles  inusi  have  oviposited  in 
the  bacon  before  sacking,  or  there  must  have  been  cracks  in  the  paper 
bags  through  which  the  young  larvae  entered.  The  date  of  the  bag 
ging  renders  the  former  hypothesis  improbable.  The  instance  seemed 
toshowthe  necessity  for  very  careful  and  early  bagging.  The  slightest 
crack  or  slit  in  the  paper  would  be  large  enough  to  allow-  the  entrance 
of  the  newly  hatched  larva,  since  the  beetles  will  lay  their  eggs  near 
such  a  crack  or  slit.  Dr.  Lintner  further  advised  n  thorough  white 
washing  of  the  apartment  in  which  the  sacks  were  hung,  which  in  this 
case  was  a  garret. 

THE    FRUIT    FLIES    OR    VINEGAR    FLIES. 
Drosophifa  Bpp.  I 

There  are  in  North  America  about  thirty  species  of  light-brown  Hies 
belonging  to  the  genus  Drosophila,  <>f  which  perhaps  the  majority 
breed  in  the  juices  of  decaying  and  fermenting  fruit.  Their  larvae  are 
small,  white,  slender  maggots,  and  are  frequently  found  in  canned  fruits 
and  pickles  which  have  been  imperfectly  sealed,  occurring  mostly  oear 
the  top  of  the  jars,  but  living  without  inconvenience  in  the  brie 
vinegary  liquid  and  transforming  within  brown  puparia  around  the 
edges  of  the  jar.  The  commonest  species  Beem  t«>  be  D.  ampelophila 
Loew  and  D.amcena  Loew. 

The  majority  of  the  species  are  strictly   North  American,  and  this 
includes  the  two  specially  mentioned  in  the  paragraph  above,  although 
D.  ampelophila  has  also  been  found  in  <  'uba.     Se\  era]  species,  DO*  I 
are  common  to  Europe  and  the  United  State-,  for  example,  l>.  fum 
1).  (j  rami  nam,  and  J),  transversa,     D.  ampelophila  seems  the  comme 


110 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


species  all  over  the  United  States  and  is  mainly  responsible  for  the 
injury  to  canned  fruits  and  pickles. 

All  of  the  species  of  Drosophila  are  probably  rapid  breeders.  Care- 
ful descriptions  of  the  early  stages  of  J),  ampelophila  and  I).  amoena 
are  given  by  Professor  Comstock  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  for  1881-82.  The  first-named  species  he  calls  the 
vine-loving  pomace  fly,  and  he  met  with  it  frequently  in  the  course  of 
an  investigation  of  the  apple  maggot  (Trypeta  pomonella),  the  flies  en- 
tering apples  which  had  been  injured  by  the  Trypeta,  completing  the 
work  of  disintegration  and  hastening  decay.  They  are  found  com- 
monly, according  to  Comstock,  about  the  refuse  of  cider  mills  and  fer- 
menting vats  of  grape  pomace.  D.  amoena  he  found  to  be  associated 
with  the  former  species  in  apples  previously  damaged  by  the  Trypeta, 
but  it  was  not  so  abundant  as  1).  ampelophila.    The  larva)  of  both 


/     \ 


Fig.  51. — Drosophila  amjidophila :  a,  adult  fly;  b,  antenna;  c,  base  of  tibia  and  first  tarsal  joint;  rf, 
puparium,  side  view ;  <?,  same,  dorsal  view ;  /,  larva ;  g,  anal  segment  of  same— a,  d,  e,  /,  much  enlarged ; 
b,  c,  g,  still  more  enlarged  (original). 

species,  and  presumably  other  species  of  the  genus  as  well,  are  fur- 
nished with  strong  anal  spiracles  through  which  the  larvae  is  able  to 
breathe  by  protnding  simply  the  end  of  its  body  to  the  air.  There  are 
also  delicate  tufts  about  the  anal  spiracles  which  may  be  branchial  in 
their  character. 

Professor  Forbes,  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Illinois  State  Horticul- 
tural Society,  1884,  mentions  the  damage  done  by  I),  ampelophila  to  the 
grape  crop  at  Moline,  111.  He  states  that  they  attack  most  frequently 
grapes  which  have  been  mutilated  by  birds  or  damaged  by  rot,  but 
once  having  commenced  on  a  cluster  are  likely  to  pass  from  one  berry 
to  another,  the  Hies  meantime  constantly  laying  eggs. 

Dr.  Lintner,  in  his  first  report  as  State  entomologist  of  Xew  York, 
mentions  the  habits  of  the  European  species,  showing  that  I),  cellaris 
occurs  in  fermented  liquids  in  cellars,  such  as  Avine,  cider,  vinegar,  and 
beer,  and  also  in  decayed  potatoes.  He  also  states  that  a  species  had 
been  sent  to  him  as  damaging  flour  paste.  Me  had  observed  particu- 
larly a  species  which  occurred  in  ajar  of  mustard  pickles.     The  larva?, 


SOME  INSECTS  AFFECTING  CHEESE,   HAMS.   FRUIT,   ETC.         1  1  1 

when  nearly  full  grown,  left  the  liquid  and  advanced  to  the  Bide  and 
top  of  the  glass  jar  where  he  had  placed  them,  where  they  could  be 
observed  feeding  on  condensed  moist  are.  They  t  ransformed  to  pupai  ia, 
from  which  the  first  flies  issued  in  tour  days. 

Mr.  G.  J.  Bowles,  in  the  Canadian  Entomologist  for  June,  I 
figures  roughly  the  different  stages  of  D.  ampelophila  and  gives  an 
account  of  its  damage  to  raspberry  vinegar.  An  earthenware  jar  had 
been  nearly  filled  with  raspberries  and  vinegar.  On  opening  the  jar 
about  ten  days  later  (August  L6)  it  was  found  to  be  swarming  with 
the  larva-  and  cocoons  of  the  insect.  Hundreds  of  the  larva 
crawling  on  the  sides  of  the  jar  and  the  underside  of  the  cover,  while 
pupa'  were  found  abundantly,  single  and  in  clusters,  particularly  \\  here 
the  cover  touched  the  top  of  the  jar.  The  short  time  required  for  the 
production  of  so  many  individuals  was  surprising.  Mr.  Bowles  half 
idled  a  covered  tumbler  with  the  pickled  raspberries  and  larva-,  and 
they  continued  to  produce  flies  for  several  weeks.  The  following  season 
the  same  observer  noticed  that  the  flies  were  attracted  to  some  rasp- 
berry wine  in  process  of  fermentation,  Liovering  about  the  jars  and 
alighting  upon  the  corks,  evidently  seeking  for  an  opening  through 
which  they  might  pass  to  lay  thei  At  another  time  be  placed  a 

few  raspberries,  with  a  small  quantity  of  vinegar,  in  a  pickle  jar  with  a 
loose  cover.  A  fortnight  afterwards  a  number  of  larvae  were  seen  in 
the  bottle,  and  several  pupa'  were  attached  to  its  .sides. 

This  statement,  together  with  Dr.  Lintner's,  that  the  pupal  state  mas- 
last  but  four  days,  shows  that  a  brood  may  develop  in  twenty  days. 
The  general  habits  of  these  insects  are  well  undei stood  by  almost  every 
housewife.  The  writer  has  often  observed  them  about  his  own  bouse, 
and  has  seen  the  larva'  working  under  conditions  described  by  Mr. 
Bowles,  and  he  is  informed  by  Mr.  Marlatt  that  one  of  the  specie 
extremely  abundant  at  Manhattan.  Kans.,  and  that  in  his  own  house- 
hold .the  greatest  care  was  necessary  to  prevent  them  from  entering 
trait  jars. 

REMEDIES. 

The  common  entrance  of  these  little  Drosophilas  into  pantiles  and 
storerooms,  as  well  as  into  dining  rooms  where  fruit  i>  kept  upon  the 
sideboard,  is  another  argument  ia  favor  of  careful  window  screening. 
Where  they  have  once  entered  ajar  of  fruit  it  is  not  necessary  to  throw 
away  the  entire  contents  of  the  jar,  since  the  ln:\.e  occur  oulj  on  the 
top  layers.  These  may  be  removed,  and  the  remainder  of  tin-  contents 
may  often  prove  pure  and  sweet.  All  fruit  canned  while  hot  and  her- 
metically sealed  will  be  safe.  The  flies  will  lay  their  eggs  upon  the  jar, 
perhaps,  or  upon  the  cloth  covering,  and  an  almost  imperceptible  open- 
ing will  suffice  for  the  newly  hatched  maggot  to  enter;  so  the  sealing 
must  be  perfect.  An  occasional  puffing  of  pyrethrum  about  the  - 
room  will  destroy  the  Hies  which  may  have  gained  entrance.     Wn< 

jar  has  once   been   opened   its  contents  can    be   preserved  where   these 

insects  are  numerous  only  by  placing  it  in  some  tight  receptacle. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

INSECTS  AFFECTING  CEREALS  AND  OTHER  DRY  VEGETABLE 

FOODS. 

By  F.  H.  Chittenden. 

Of  the  many  insects  that  infest  the  granary,  flouring  mill,  and  ware- 
house, a  considerable  proportion  contrive  at  times  to  find  their  way 
into  habitations.  A  small  number  of  these  are  of  almost  universal 
occurrence  in  the  household,  and  several  others  are  frequently  brought 
into  the  pantry  or  storeroom  in  cereal  foods,  dried  fruits,  and  other 
merchandise. 

Not  so  long  ago  that  it  has  passed  out  of  remembrance  it  was  cus- 
tomary in  well-regulated  households,  even  in  large  cities,  to  set  aside  a 
room,  in  addition  to  the  cupboard  and  cellar,  for  the  storage  of  barrels 
of  flour,  bags  of  meal,  boxes  of  raisins,  dried  apples,  and  the  like,  and 
such  custom  still  prevails  in  country  homes;  but  at  the  present  time 
city  housekeepers  purchase  for  the  most  part  in  small  quantities  at  the 
"corner  grocery"  from  time  to  time  as  required.  As  a  consequence,  the 
city  housewife,  unless  she  should  happen  to  reside  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  a  store  or  warehouse,  is  not  so  subject  to  annoyance 
from  storeroom  insects  as  are  her  country  cousins.  There  is  this  differ- 
ence, however,  that  the  farmer's  wife  is  prone  to  look  upon  as  a  neces- 
sary evil  what  the  city  housekeeper  may  behold  as  a  veritable  calamity. 
Fortunately,  the  insects  that  breed  in  dry  vegetable  foods  and  that  dis- 
play a  disposition  to  make  a  permanent  abode  of  the  storeroom  number 
not  more  than  about  a  dozen,  the  remainder,  of  which  a  few  forms  will 
be  selected  for  passing  notice,  being  only  casual  visitants  and  readily 
controlled  under  ordinary  conditions. 

THE    FLOUR    BEETLES. 

Several  little  flattened  beetles  of  a  shining  reddish  brown  color  and 
similar  appearance  generally  so  frequently  occur  in  bags  and  barrels 
of  flour  as  to  have  earned  the  popular  title  of  "flour  weevils."  They 
live  upon  cereal  and  other  seeds  and  various  other  stored  products,  but 
generally  prefer  flour  and  meal  and  patented  articles  of  diet  containing 
farinaceous  matter. 

Their  eggs  are  often  deposited  in  the  flour  in  the  mills,  and  these  and 
the  larva?  they  produce,  being  minute  and  pale  in  color,  readily  escape 
notice;  but  after  the  flour  has  been  barreled  or  placed  in  bags  and  left 
unopened  for  any  length  of  time  the  adult  beetles  make  their  appear- 
ance, and  in  due  course  the  flour  is  ruined,  for  when  the  insects  have 
112 


INSECTS   AFFECTING    CEEEAL8,   ETl  . 


1  1  3 


time  to  propagate  they  soon  eon  vert  the  Hour  into  a  gray  useless  mass. 
A  part  of  the  annoyance  to  purchaser,  dealer,  and  manufacturer  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  insects  are  highly  offensive,  a  feu  specimens  I  ■• 
sufficient  to  impart  a  disagreeable  and  persistent  odor  to  the  infested 

substance. 

THE    CONFUSED    II.nl   K    BEETLE. 
Vribolium  oonfuaum  Duv. 

The  most  injurious  enemy  to  prepared  cereal  foods  is  undoubtedly  t  lie 
above-mentioned  species.     Singularly  enough,  in  less  than  two  y< 
from  the  time  of  its  first  recognition  as  a  distinct  species  occurring  in 
this  country,  this  insect  had  been  reported  as  injurious  in  nearly  every 
State  and  Territory  in  the  Union.    The  divisional  experience  of  a  sin 
gle  year,  1894,  shows  that   more  complaints  are  made  of  injuries  by 
this  than  of  any  other  granivorous  species.     M  r.  W.  < 1.  Johnson,  in  t  he 
American  Miller  of  January  1.  L896,  speaking  of  this  insect  as  a  mill 
pest,  says  that  it  was  the  most  troublesome  species  of  the  year  L895, 
and   expresses    the 
belief  that    it   had 
cost  the  millers  of 
the    United   States 
over     $100,000     in 
manufactured  prod- 
ucts   during     that 
year. 

The  mature  insect 
is  shining  reddish 
brown  in  color  and 
resembles  in  minia- 
ture the  adult  of  the 
familiar  meal  worm 
(Tenebrio),  w  h  i  c  h 
will  be  referred  to 
further  ii  the  fol- 
lowing pages.  It  is 
scarcely  a  sixth  of  an  inch  long,  being  almost  an  exact  counterpart  of 
the  rust-red  Hour  beetle  T. ferrugineum  .  with  which  it  has  been  ; 
erally  confused,  but  may  be  distinguished  by  the  structure  of  the 
antenine,  which  are  only  gradually  clavate,  by  its  broader  head,  the 
cheeks  being  expanded  at  the  sides  and  angulated  at  the  eyes.  The 
thorax  above  is  gradually  narrowed  behind,  its  hind  angles  being  more 
or  less  acute.  The  adult  beetle  is  shown,  enlarged,  in  the  accompanying 
illustration  (fig.  52  at  <r,  and  the  head  and  antenna?,  still  more  enlai 
at  e.    The  same  parts  of/<  rrugineum  are  presented  at  /'  for  comparison. 

This  species,  like  nearly  all  the  others  that  frequent  the  family  st 
room,  is  what  is  termed  a  general  feeder.     It  prefers,  however,  prepared 
cereals,  and  hence  is  most  troublesome  in  Hour,  corn   meal,  oatmeal. 
2805— Xo.  4 8 


H 


/  ibolium  cortfusum:  a, beetle;  6, larva;  e,  pupa— all  ei 
d,  lateral  lobe  of  abdomen  ot  pupa;  •,  bead  <>f  beetb 
texraa;  /.  name  <>t'   V. ,  tuthor'a 

Illustration). 


114  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

cracked  wheat,  and  patented  foods,  but  likewise  infests  in  the  writer's 
experience  suck  useful  commodities  as  ginger,  cayenne  pepper,  baking 
powder,  orris  root,  snuff,  slippery  elm,  peanuts,  peas,  beans,  and  seeds 
of  various  kinds  that  are  kept  long  in  store.  It  sometimes  also  attacks 
cabinets  of  dried  insects. 

As  an  instance  of  the  nature  of  injury  to  flour  in  households  may  be 
mentioned  an  exx)erience  recently  reported,  as  it  is  one  that  may  fall  to 
the  lot  of  any  housekeeper.  The  house  had  been  closed  for  six  weeks, 
and  on  the  return  of  the  family  the  flour,  which  was  kept  in  a  large 
wooden  bucket  with  tightly  fitting  cover,  and  known  to  the  trade  as  a 
kauakin,  was  swarming  with  the  larvae  and  beetles  of  this  species. 
The  damaged  flour  was  removed  and  the  bucket  refilled,  only  to  be  again 
found  with  the  insects  at  work  in  the  fresh  material.  A  personal  exami- 
nation showed  that  the  insects,  or  enough  of  them  to  cause  reinfestation, 
had  remained  in  the  cracks  of  the  bucket  and  in  holes  that  they  and 
their  larvae,  or  Silvanus  snrinamensis,  which  accompanied  them,  had 
made  in  the  soft  wood.  The  bucket  was  again  emptied  and  the  pail 
scalded,  which  had  the  effect  of  killing  all  the  insects  except  a  few 
whicli  were  discovered  to  have  escaped  through  holes  which  they  had 
made  in  the  bottom.     The  pail  had  then  to  be  painted  on  the  bottom. 

Two  reports  have  reached  this  office  of  injury  by  this  species  to  bak- 
ing powder.  In  one  instance  considerable  damage  had  been  done, 
resulting  in  the  loss  of  an  entire  consignment,  necessitating  its  replace- 
ment by  the  manufacturers,  not  to  mention  the  annoyance  to  all  parties 
concerned.  Customers  were  returning  boxes  of  the  powder  almost  as 
soon  as  opened,  on  account  of  the  presence  of  these  beetles.  The  baking 
powder,  of  which  wheat  flour  was  in  this  instance  one  of  the  ingredients, 
is  put  up  for  sale  in  tight  tin  boxes,  and  so  closely  covered  with  paper 
as  to  be  practically  air-tight;  consequently  the  insects  must  have  gained 
entrance  at  the  manufactory  before  the  boxes  were  covered. 

The  life  history  of  this  species  is  in  brief  as  follows :  The  tiny,  clear 
white  eggs  are  attached  to  some  convenient  surface  in  the  cracks  or  on 
the  sides  of  the  bag,  barrel,  or  other  receptacle  in  which  the  infested 
substance  is  contained.  These  hatch  into  minute  larvae,  which  feed  for 
a  period,  depending  upon  the  temperature,  and  then  transform  to  naked, 
white  pupae,  which  in  due  time  change  to  beetles,  which  copulate  soon 
after  transformation,  and  another  generation  enters  upon  its  life  round. 
In  this  manner  several  broods  are  generated  in  the  course  of  a  year. 
From  observations  conducted  by  the  writer  it  has  been  learned  that 
this  insect  is  capable  in  an  exceptionally  high  temperature  of  under- 
going its  entire  round  of  existence  from  egg  to  imago  in  thirty- six  days. 
The  minimum  period  of  incubation  was  not  ascertained,  but  it  may  be 
assumed  as  about  six  days.  This,  with  six  days  for  the  pupal  period, 
gives  twenty-four  days  as  the  shortest  developmental  period  of  the 
larva.    In  cooler  weather  these  periods  last  two  or  three  times  as  long. 


INSECTS   AFFECTING    CEREALS,  ETC.  115 

Iii  well-heated  buildings  in  a  latitude  like  that  of  Washington  \\  e  1 1ms 
have  the  possibility  of  at  least  four  generations  a  year. 

The  mature  larva  is  shown  in  the  figure  (fig.  52  a1  l>.  the  pupa  at  o 
and  (I. 

THE    BUST-BED    I  LOUB    BEETLE. 

i   /  rihol  iinu  J'(  mii/iin  it  in    l';il>. 

Tliis  species,  as  previously  stated,  closely  resembles  the  first  men- 
tioned Hour  beetle  in  color,  form,  and  size,  but  may  be  distinguished 
by  the  form  of  the  head,  which  is  not  expanded  beyond  the  eyes  at  the 
sides,  and  by  the  antenna-,  which  terminate  in  a  distinct  three-joiuted 
club  (see  fig.  52,/).  In  its  habits  and  life  history  this  insect  closely 
resembles  its  congener,  T.  confusum,  but  it  is  apparently  somewhat 
restricted  to  the  Southern  States,  although  occasionally  found  in  the 
North.  It  is  often  reported  in  flour,  meal,  ami  grain,  and  is  sometimes 
shipped  north  in  consignments  of  rice. 

THE    BROAD-HORNED    PLOl   R    BEETLE. 

(Echocerua  cornutua  Fab.) 

A  third  Hour  beetle  that  sometimes  finds  its  way  into  houses  is  the 
one  above  mentioned.  It  so  closely  resembles  the  two  preceding  spe- 
cies that  the  females  particularly  are  with  difficulty  distil  guished  from 

them.  The  male,  with  its  broad,  conspicuous  man- 
dibular horns,  is  shown  at  fig.  53.  The  general  habits 
of  this  species  also  so  nearly  resemble  those  of  Tri- 
boliuni  that  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  give  more  than 
a  brief  mention  of  its  known  foods.  It  has  been 
found  in  ground  cereals  of  various  sorts,  including 
flour,  meal,  "germea,"  rolled  barley,  bread,  army 
biscuit,  maize,  wheat,  and  rice.  In  southern  (alitor 
nia  it  occurs  even  under  bark,  showing  complete 
acclimatization.  It  is  somewhat  limited  in  distribu- 
tion in  the  United  States,  but  is  frequently  met  with  i  „..  .-,  ,<-„,-. 
in  large  seaport  towns,  especially  on    the    Pacific      »"'"*■•  male  beetle— 

~  ,    .  .,  ,     '      .  ,  enlarged  (original). 

Coast,  and  is  on  the  increase  elsewhere,     in  some 

parts  of  Europe,  according  to  report,  it  is  a  veritable  pest    in   bakeries 

by  getting  into  the  Hour  and  into  t  he  masses  of  fermenting  dough  t  hat 

accumulate  upon  the  molds  used  in  baking  bread. 

THE    MEAL-WORMS. 

Two  species  of  beetles  and  their  larva-,  the  latter  familiar  to  nearly 
everyone  under  the  name  " meal- worms,"  attract  attention  by  reason 
of  their  large  size  and  somewhat  serpent  like  appearance  when  they 
invade  the  family  Hour  barrel,  the  \\'v<\  box,  bags  of  bran  or  meal,  or 
are  turned  up  in  unexpected  places.     These  are  among  the  many  8p 


116 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


that  develop  in  refuse  grain  dust  and  mill  products  that  are  carelessly 
permitted  to  accumulate  in  the  dark  corners  and  out-of-the-way  places 
in  flouring  mills,  bakeries,  stores,  and  stables.  The  two  species  are 
about  equally  common  and  do  not  differ  materially  in  their  habits, 
and  although  abundant  enough  wherever  grain  is  stored,  do  little  or  no 
damage  to  seed  stock,  being  found  mostly  in  corn  meal  and  other  ground 
products.  They  are  also  of  some  importance  as  enemies  to  ship  biscuit. 
As  with  some  of  the  other  storehouse  insects,  the  Tenebrios  are  not 
an  unmixed  evil,  for  they  have  a  commercial  value  to  the  bird  fancier, 
being  used  as  food  for  nightingales,  mocking  birds,  and  other  feathered 
songsters. 

THE   YELLOW  MEAL-WORM. 
(Tenebrio  molitor  Linn.) 

The  above-mentioned  species  is  the  meal-worm  most  often  referred 
to  in  scientific  literature.  Its  name — Tenebrio,  meaning  one  who  shuns 
the  light;  molitor ,  a  miller — is  suggestive  of  its  habits  and  was  given 
to  it  by  Linmeus  in  the  year  1761.     Accounts  of  its  larva,  however, 

appeared  many  years 
earlier,  one  of  these,  by 
Thomas  Moufet,  dating 
back  to  the  year  1G31. 
As  it  is  in  the  larval 
stage  that  this  insect  is 
best  lyiown,  the  name 
u  yellow  meal  -  worm'' 
is  suggested  to  distin- 
guish it  from  the  con- 
generic species,  which 
is  much  darker  in  color. 
The  larva  (see  fig.  54,  a) 
is  cylindrical,  long,  and 
slender,  attaining  a 
length  of  upward  of  an 
inch  and  being  about 
eight  times  as  long- 
as  broad.  It  is  waxen 
in  appearance,  much  resembling  a  wireworm.  In  color  it  is  yellow, 
shading  to  darker  ochreous  toward  each,  end  and  near  the  articulation 
of  each  joint.  The  anal  extremity  terminates  in  two  minute  spines, 
not  in  a  single  point,  as  figured  and  described  by  Westwood  and  other 
writers.  The  pupa  (b)  is  white,  and  the  adult  insect,  as  will  readily  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration,  (c)  resembles  on  a  large  scale  one  of 
the  flour  beetles.  It  is  considerably  over  half  an  inch  long,  somewhat 
flattened,  shining,  and  nearly  black.  An  enlarged  antenna  is  shown 
at  e. 


a 


%n^c^^ 


Fig.  54. — Tenebrio  molitor:  a,  larva;  b,  pupa;  c,  female  beetle;  </, 
egg,  with,  surrounding  ease;  e,  antenna — a,  b,c,d,  about  twice 
natural  size;  e,  more  enlarged  (original). 


INSECTS   AFFECTING    CEREALS,    ET<  117 

The  eggs  are  white,  bean-shaped,  and  about  one-twentieth  of  an 
inch  long,  and  arc  deposited  by  the  parenl  beetle  in  the  meal  or  other 
substance  which  is  to  serve  as  the  food  of  the  future  larva,  singly  or 
in  groups,  as  high  as  fourteen  <»r  sixteen  being  laid  in  a  single  day. 
They  are  adhesive  when  fust  extruded  and  become  attached  to  any 
surface  upon  which  they  are  laid,  and  also  take  <m  ;i  coating  of  par 

tides  of  meal  or  other  material.     In  the  illustrati al  '/.  an  egg  is 

shown  in  profile  with  its  covering  of  meal. 

The  beetles  begin  to  appear  in  the  latitude  of  Washington  in  April 
and  May,  occurring  most  abundantly  in  the  latter  month  and  in  June, 
when  they  run  and  fly  actively  aboul  in  search  of  their  mates  and  of  a 
new  place  for  the  deposition  of  their  eggs.  In  about  two  weeks  from 
the  time  the  eggs  are  laid  the  infant  meal-worm,  which  is  at  first  clear 
white  in  color  and  with  prominent  antenna'  and  legs,  makes  its  appear- 
ance. It  soon  turns  yellow,  and  as  it  feeds  voraciously  its  growth  is 
rapid.  In  three  months  it  attains  approximate  maturity, and  from  then 
till  the  following  spring  undergoes  little  change.  Alter  having  shed 
about  a  dozen  skins,  beginning  from  soon  after  its  hatching,  it  changes 
to  pupa  and  in  this  state  remains  about  a.  fortnight.  It  will,  there- 
fore, be  noticed  that  this  species  is  annual  in  development,  a  single 
brood  only  appearing  each  year.  The  beetles  are  nocturnal,  and.  being 
moderately  strong  flyers,  are  often  attracted  to  lights.  They  have  the 
pungent  odor  characteristic  of  the  family  Tenebrionidae. 

In  1889  a  physician  sent  us  larval  specimens  of  this  meal  worm 
reported  to  have  been  ejected  from  the  stomach  of  a  patient, and  there 
are  many  other  records  of  similar  occurrences  of  these  larva-  in  the 
human  body.  We  also  received  during  the  year  a  specimen  of  this 
insect,  with  an  accompanying  newspaper  clipping  giving  an  account  of 
its  having  been  taken  in  a  hotel  from  a  large  pin  cushion  tilled  with 
"shorts."  The  noise  made  by  the  beetles  scratching  about  in  endeav- 
oring to  obtain  their  exit  from  the  cushion  had  caused  a  gU68t  to  com- 
plain that  his  room  was  haunted.     (See  Insect  Life.  Vol.  II.  p.  1  18. 

THE    DARK    ITB  \i.  WORM. 
-  I <  in  brio  obscurut  I. inn.  i 

The  darker  of  the  two  meal-worm  larvae  has  been  called  by  writ 
the  American  meal-worm,  an  obvious  misnomer,  as  this  species,  like  the 
preceding,  in  all  probability  came  originally  from  temperate  Burope 
or  Asia,  and  is.  like  other  species  most  commonly  found  in  the  Bl 
house,  an  introduced  cosmopolite. 

The  mature  insect,  illustrated  at  fig.  55,  is  very  similar  to  the  parenl 
of  the  yellow  meal  worm,  being  of  nearly  the  same  dimensions,  but 
distinguishable  by  its  color,  which  is  dull,  piceous  black.  There  are 
other  points  of  difference,  notably  in  the  antenna',  the  third  joint  in  tin- 
present  species  being  perceptibly  longer  than  in  molitor.    The  larva  also 


118  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

resembles  that  of  the  preceding,  differing  chiefly  in  its  much  darker 

brownish  markings.     The  pupa,  however,  is  of  the  same  whitish  color. 

The  beetles,  in  the  writer's  experience,  begin  to 

^^ccccrt^1^      appear  considerably  earlier  than  do  those  of  the 

#  yellow  meal-worm.  Here  at  Washington  they  may 
be  found  as  early  as  the  latter  part  of  February, 
remaining  till  the  beginning  of  July,  occurring  most 
abundantly  in  April  and  May. 
In  1890  a  correspondent  sent  specimens  of  larvte 
that  had  been  found  in  a  grocery  store  in  a  parcel  of 
adulterated  ground  black  pepper,  and  within  the  year 
we  received  a  lot  of  living  larva3  from  Dr.  J.  B.  Porter, 
of  Glendale,  Ohio,  that  had  been  found  in  a  box  of 
fig.  55.— Tenebrio  oiscu-    commercial  soda  ash.     We  have  also  specimens  that 

Iniargrd(origimi)What    were  taken  amon£  phosphate  fertilizers,  cotton  seed, 
and  cotton  meal.     It  should  be  unnecessary  to  re- 
mark that  these  larvae  did  not  feed  upon  the  chemicals,  although  they 
lived  in  them  for  some  time. 

THE  MEAL  MOTHS. 

Two  species  of  moths,  in  addition  to  the  clothes  moths,  are  habitual 
frequenters  of  the  household,  the  one  attracting  notice  through  the 
depredations  of  its  larva  in  a  variety  of  articles,  the  other  chiefly  by 
its  beautiful  appearance  in  the  winged  form. 

THE   INDIAN-MEAL   MOTH. 

(Plodia  inter punctella  Huelm.) 

A  small  moth  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  clothes  moths,  which  it 
somewhat  resembles  when  in  flight,  is  very  often  found  in  stores,  and 
through  them  is  brought  into  the  household,  where  it  is  an  all-round 
nuisance,  feeding  upon  almost  anything  edible.  It  makes  its  home 
almost  everywhere,  and  is  very  sure  to  be  found  in  boxes  of  preserved 
fruits  if  these  are  left  open  for  any  time,  but  does  not  disdain  fruits 
that  have  been  left  in  barrels  to  rot  and  dry  up,  as  frequently  happens. 

The  common  name  of  this  insect  is  sufficiently  indicative  of  its  fond- 
ness for  meal,  and  it  feeds  as  well  upon  flour  and  upon  grain  of  all 
sorts,  ground  or  whole.  In  the  writer's  experience  it  breeds  also  in 
chick-peas  and  table  beans,  peanuts,  English  walnuts,  almonds,  edible 
acorns,  chocolate  beans,  dried  fruits  of  all  kinds,  including  currants, 
raisins,  peaches,  apples,  apricots,  prunes,  plums,  and  cherries,  and  seeds 
of  several  sorts.  It  has  also  been  recorded  as  infesting  clover  seed, 
garlic  heads,  dried  roots  of  dandelion,  pecan  nuts,  and  cinnamon  bark, 
and  has  been  reported  to  invade  beehives,  and  does  considerable  damage 
at  times  in  museums,  feeding  on  herbarium  specimens,  and  even  attack- 
ing dried  insects. 

The  adult  moth  has  a  wing  expanse  of  between  a  half  and  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch,  and  is  of  the  general  appearance  represented  in 


INSECTS    AFFECTING    CEREA] 


119 


fs  are 

hind- 


f 


the  illustration  (fig.  56,  a).  The  outer  two-thirds  of  the  fore  win; 
reddish  brown,  with  a  coppery  luster;  the  inner  portion  and  the 
wings  are  light  dirty 
grayish.  The  larva, 
or  caterpillar,  shown 
at  c,  <h  e,  and/,  meas- 
ures when  full  grown 
about  hall  an  inch  and 

varies  in  color,  being 
whitish,  with  li-lit 
lose    yellowish    or 

greenish    tints.      The      !  riodiainterjmneteUa:  o,  moth j  I  iterpil- 

pupa  (b  islighl  brown      '"';  l;,',r:'1  \T    ' 71'"'"1  "T\-  T™,,*  ' 

11  to  ;,,),!  ,.   Brat  abtlomiunl  segment  ol  caterp 

in  color.  thor'a  lllnstratios). 

The  re  minute  and  white,  and  arc  deposited,  t<>  the  Dumber  <>t 

350,  singly  and  in  groups  of  from  three  to  a  dozen  or  more,  upon 
whatever  Bubstance  the  female  may  see  tit  to  select  for  the  sustenance 
of  her  offspring.  In  fouror  more  days  they  hatch,  and  in  four  or  more 
weeks  another  brood  is  produced.  In  this  manner  a  succession  of 
generations  appears  which  will  vary,  according  to  the  temperature 
the  building  thai  the  insect  inhabits,  from  four  to  possibly  six  or  seven 
a  year. 

The  caterpillars  spin  a  certain  amount  of  silk  as  they  feed,  joining 
together  particles  of  their  food  and  excrement,  and  thus  injure  for  food 
several  times  the  amount  of  material  that  they  consume.  When  fully 
matured  they  craw  1  hither  and  thither,  trailing  large  quantities  of  their 
silken  threads  after  them,  in  their  search  lor  a  suitable  place  for  trans 
formation,  and  finally  surround  themselves  in  a  cylindrical  silken  web, 
in  which  they  change  to  chrysalids  and  then  to  moths. 

Till:   MEAL    SNOUT-MOTH. 

(Pyralis  farinalis  Linn.) 

This  species  in  its  mature  condition  is  the  most  attractive  of  all 
household  insects.     It  measures  across  its  expanded  fore- wings  upward 


; 

".7.       I'ura'  it.  . n lull   moth  :    '  >l>:i 

in  ocx  natural  -\/ riginal). 

«>f  three-quarters  of  an  inch.     Its  dark  colors  are  of  different  Bha 
of  brown,  with  reddish  reflections;  the  lighter  colors  are  whitish  and 


120  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD   INSECTS. 

form  the  pattern  shown  in  the  illustration  (fig.  57,  a).  The  caterpillar 
(b)  is  whitish,  shading  off  to  a  darker  color  at  either  end,  and  with  a 
reddish  head.  The  pupa,  shown  in  its  enveloping  cover  of  silk  at  c, 
and  naked  at  fig.  5Sy  e,  is  reddish  brown. 

The  habits  of  this  moth  are  peculiar.  The  larva3  subsist  chiefly 
upon  cereals,  but  seem  not  to  prefer  them  in  any  particular  condition, 
feeding  alike  on  the  seed,  whole  or  ground,  bran,  husk,  or  straw.  They 
will  attack  other  seeds  and  dried  plants,  and  are  at  times  injurious  to 
hay,  particularly  clover.  They  are  also  reported  to  feed  upon  stored 
potatoes.  Within  the  year  larvae  were  brought  to  this  office  in  flour  and 
specimens  of  the  insect's  work  in  sweet  marjoram,  an  herb  sometimes 
used  in  cooking.  The  caterpillars  live  in  long  tubes  or  tunnels  com- 
posed of  silk  and  particles  of  meal  or  other  material,  and  while  thus 

incased  in  the  obscure  corners  in  which 
they  habitually  live  are  completely  con- 
cealed from  observation.  When  mature 
they  leave  them  and  construct  cocoon-like 
cases  and  undergo  transformation  within. 

The  life  history  of  the  meal  snout-moth 
has  never  been  properly  understood,  the 
efforts  to  rear  and  observe  it  having  always 
proved  unsatisfactory.  Certain  European 
writers  have  expressed  the  belief  that  the 
species  is  biennial  in  development,  but  ex- 

Fig.  58.— Pyralis  farinalis:   a,   egg-  .  ,  ,  -,        ,      -, 

ma8s;  6,  eggs,  more  enlarged,  c,    penments  now  being  conducted  go  to  prove 
egg  showing  embryo  within;  d,    at  least  four  generations  a  year.     The  spe- 

larva,  dorsal  view;  e,  pupa-all  en-     cies  has  been  carrje(1   through   all  its  Stages 
larged  (original).  .  .  .  < 

this  spring  m  about  eight  weeks. 
From  recent  experience  it  would  seem  that  comparatively  little  danger 
need  be  apprehended  from  injuries  by  this  insect  if  material  upon  which 
it  is  likely  to  feed  be  kept  in  a  clean,  dry  place.  Almost  without  excep. 
tion,  the  cases  of  damage  attributable  to  it  have  occurred  in  cellars, 
upon  floors,  in  outhouses,  or  in  places  where  refuse  vegetable  matter 
had  accumulated. 

THE    GRAIN   BEETLES. 

There  are  two  clavicorn  beetles,  known,  respectively,  as  the  saw- 
toothed  grain  beetle  and  the  cadelle,  of  omnivorous  habits  and  universal 
distribution,  that  commonly  occur  in  dwellings  as  well  as  in  grauaries, 
mills,  and  warehouses.  The  former  is  so  small  as  to  readily  escape 
notice  except  when  it  is  present  in  numbers;  the  latter,  though  seldom 
occurring  in  abundance,  is  conspicuous,  both  as  larva  and  beetle,  on 
account  of  its  size.  The  two  species  resemble  each  other  in  being 
partially  carnivorous  and  predaceous,  following  in  the  wake  of  other 
insects  like  the  Indian-meal  moth,  the  cadelle  particularly  making 
atonement  for  its  ravages  in  the  pantry  supplies  by  devouring  such 
small  insects  as  cross  its  path  that  it  is  able  to  overcome. 


INSECTS    AFFECTING    CEREALS,  ETC. 


121 


THE   SAW-TOOTHED    (JRAIN    BEETLE. 
(Silvanus  surinamensis  Linn.) 

Taken  all  in  all,  this  is  perhaps  the  commonest  insect  that  habitually 
abides  in  groceries,  and,  excepting  the  so-called  Croton  bug,  the  one 
most  often  found  in  the  pantry.  Wherever  anything  edible  is  stored 
this  insect  will  be  found.  It  is  chiefly  vegetarian,  but  is  almost  omniv- 
orous, and  is  especially  fond  of  cereals  and  breadstuff's,  preserved  fruits, 
nuts,  and  seeds  of  various  kinds.  Among  other  commodities  of  the 
household  that  are  subject  to  its  depredations  may  be  mentioned  yeast 
cakes,  mace,  snuff,  and  red  pepper. 

The  mature  beetles  will  feed  upon  sugar  and  have  been  reported  in 
starch,  tobacco,  and  dried  meats,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  insect  will 
breed  in  such  substances.     The  beetles  or  their  Larvae  have  the  bad 


Fi.;. 


Silvantu  turinamenxu :  a.  beetle;  h,  pupa;  c,  larva — all  enlarged ;  d,  antenna  of  larva- 
more  enlarged  (author's  illustration). 


habit  of  perforating  the  paper  bags  in  which  Hour  and  other  comesti- 
bles are  kept.  When  present  in  boxes  of  fruit — and  they  are  very 
sure  to  be  there  if  the  covers  are  left  off  thoughout  the  summer — there 
may  be  no  visible evidence  of  their  presence  until  the  bottom  is  reached, 
but  here  they  will  be  found  in  great  numbers,  and  when  disturbed 
scamper  off  in  the  greatest  haste.  This  insect  is  almost  invariably 
present  wherever  the  Indian  meal  moth  is  found,  and  the  list  of  the 
food  products  that  have  been  mentioned  as  subject  to  this  moth's 
attack  will  answer  about  equally  well  for  the  licet  le. 

As  an  instance  of  unusual  trouble  caused  by  this  insect  may  be 
mentioned  the  case  cited  by  Taschenberg  of  the  beetles  having  invaded 
sleeping  apartments  adjoining  a  brewery  where  stores  were  kepi  and 
annoying  the  sleepers  at  uight  by  nipping  them  in  their  beds. 

This  beetle  is  ;i  member  of  the  family  Cucujidse.  It  is  only  about 
one-tenth  of  an  inch  long.  Blender,  much  flattened,  and  of  a  chocolate- 


122  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

brown  color.  The  antennae  are  clavate,  or  club  shaped,  and  the  thorax 
has  two  shallow,  longitudinal  grooves  on  the  upper  surface  and  bears 
six  minute  teeth  like  those  of  a  saw  on  each  side,  as  indicated  at  fig. 
59,  a. 

The  larva  is  somewhat  depressed,  and  nearly  white  in  color,  with 
darker  markings,  as  shown  in  the  illustration  (c).  It  has  six  legs  and 
an  abdominal  proleg,  and  is  exceedingly  active,  running  about,  nibbling 
here  and  there. 

When  fully  matured  the  larva  fastens  itself  by  means  of  some 
adhesive  matter,  evidently  excrementitious,  to  any  convenient  surface, 
and  thus  attached  transforms  to  pupa  and  afterward  to  imago.  When 
the  insect  is  living  in  such  granular  substances  as  oatmeal  and  cracked 
wheat  a  delicate  case  is  constructed  of  fragments  of  these  materials, 
but  when  in  flour  and  meal  often  no  covering  is  made.  From  data 
acquired  by  experiment  it  is  estimated  that  there  may  be  six  or  seven 
generations  of  this  insect  annually  in  the  latitude  of  the  District  of 
Columbia.  During  the  summer  months  the  life  cycle  requires  but 
twenty-four  days;  in  spring,  from  six  to  ten  weeks.  At  Washington, 
it  has  been  learned,  the  species  winters  over  in  the  adult  state,  even  in 
a  well-warmed  indoor  temperature. 

THE    CADELLE. 

(Tenebroides  mauritanicus  Linn.) 

The  term  "cadelle"  was  first  proposed  years  ago  in  France  for  the 
larva  of  this  insect.  The  Latin  name  was  given  to  it  in  1758,  when  it 
was  described  as  a  species  of  Tenebrio  and  classified  with  the  meal- 
worms, the  adult  of  which  it  very  slightly  resembles  in  its  somber 
color  and  depressed  elongate  form.  It  belongs,  however,  to  a  distinct 
family,  the  Trogositida?,  and  is  considerably  smaller  than  the  meal- 
worm beetles,  measuring  about  a  third  of  an  inch.  It  is  very  dark, 
shining  brown  in  color,  much  flattened,  and  of  the  somewhat  oblong 
form  indicated  in  the  illustration  (fig.  GO,  a).  The  antenna  is  shown, 
much  enlarged  on  page  123.  The  general  appearance  of  the  larva  is 
shown  at  c.  It  is  fleshy  and  slender,  measuring  when  full  grown  nearly 
three  fourths  of  an  inch.  It  is  whitish  in  color,  with  head  and  tip  of 
the  anal  segment  dark  brown,  the  latter  terminating  in  two  dark  cor- 
neous hooks.  The  three  thoracic  segments  are  also  marked  with  dark 
brown,  as  indicated  in  the  figure.     The  pupa  (b)  is  white. 

There  has  always  been  a  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  nature 
of  the  food  of  Tenebroides  mauritanicus,  some  claiming  that  the  insect 
was  carnivorous.  It  has  been  satisfactorily  proven  through  experiment 
by  the  writer  that  the  insect  is  both  herbivorous  and  predaceous.  It  is 
most  often  found  in  cereals  and  in  nuts,  but  may  be  occasionally  taken 
in  other  materials. 


[NSECTS    AFFECTING    CEREALS,   ETC. 


123 


If  personal  experience  and  divisional  records  be  any  criterion,  this 
species  excels  all  other  grain  feeders  in  Its  proclivity  for  obtruding:  its 
presence  in  unexpected  places,  it  is  ;i  most  unwelcome  -nest  at  all 
times,  its  large  size,  both  in  the  larval  and  adult  Btages,  rendering  its 
appearance  conspicuous,  not  to  say  alarming  <>r  disgusting,  to  most 
persons.  In  the  pages  of  Insect  Life  we  have  noted  its  presence  in 
milk  (Vol.  I,  p.  L 12),  the  evidence  being  that  the  milk  had  been  adul- 
terated with  some  farinaceous  material  in  which  the  beetle  had  lived  as 
larva.  On  pages  31  I  ami  o<><>  it  is  mentioned  as  having  tunneled  for  a 
long  time  through  a  flask  of  an  insecticide   white  hellebore)  which  was 


■& 


/  r 


I'i'i.  60,   -Tenebroides  mauritanicus:   a,  adult  beetle  with  greatly  «en 
larged  antenna  above;  b,  pupa;  e,  larva— all  enlarged  (original). 


found  by  experiment  to  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  kill  currant  worms. 
Again,  on  pages  274-275  of  Volume  VI  we  note  the  presence  of  this 
and  other  insects  in  refined  sugar.  Mr.  R.  8.  Clifton,  of  this  office, 
ntly  showed  the  writers  larva  found  in  powdered  sugar,  with  the 
information  that  the  Bugar  had  been  returned  promptly  t<>  the  grocer 
of  whom  it  had  just  been  purchased,  in  granulated  sugar  the  occur- 
rence of  this  and  probably  of  other  insects  is  generally  the  result  of 
accident,  a-  it  has  never  been  proven  that  insects  breed  in  sugar  in  this 
condition.  In  tin-  case  of  pulverized  sugar,  however,  tin-  presence  of 
ts  would  at  least  create  a  suspicion  of  adulteration  with  floor. 


124 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


Contrary  to  the  rule  with  regard  to  indoor  species,  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  this  insect  is  of  American  nativity.  It  differs 
also  from  most  other  storehouse  species  in  being  annual  in  its  develop- 
ment, propagating,  it  is  true,  throughout  the  warm  season,  but  bringing 
forth  only  a  single  brood  each  year. 

THE  DRUG-STORE  BEETLE  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 
THE   DRUG- STORE   BEETLE. 

(Sitodrepa  panicea  Linn.) 

One  of  the  commonest  of  storehouse  pests  is  the  little  Sitodrepa 
panicea,  a  frequent  visitor  in  habitations,  which  it  enters  at  open 
windows. 

This  beetle  is  a  member  of  the  family  Ptinidae.  It  is  cylindrical  in 
•form,  measuring  about  a  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  is  of  a  uniform 
light-brown  color,  with  very  fine,  silky  pubescence.  The  elytra  are  dis- 
tinctly striated  and  the  antenna?  terminate  in  an  elongate  three  jointed 


Fiq.  61.— Sitodrepa  panicea:    a,  larva;  b,  pupa;   c,  beetle,   dorsal  view;   d,  lateral  view — all  much 
enlarged;  e,  antenna — more  enlarged  (original). 

club.  Fig.  61,  c,  shows  the  beetle  with  antennae  extended,  e  represent- 
ing an  antenna  greatly  enlarged.  When  at  rest  the  head  is  retracted 
into  the  peculiar  hood-like  thorax,  as  shown  in  profile  at  d,  and  with  the 
legs  and  antennae  folded  under  and  tightly  appressed  to  the  body,  the 
little  creature  easily  escapes  observation.  The  larva  is  white,  with 
darker  mouth-parts,  and  of  the  cylindrical  curved  form  indicated  at  a. 
The  characteristic  form  of  the  head  and  legs  is  reproduced  at  fig.  62. 
The  pupa,  illustrated  at  b,  is  white. 

The  insect  received  its  Latin  name  from  its  occurrence  in  dry  bread 
(pants),  and  in  Europe  it  is  still  known  as  the  bread  beetle,  but  its  chief 
injuries  are  to  druggists' supplies;  hence  the  name  drug-store  beetle. 
Its  depredations  do  not  stop  here,  however,  for  it  invades  alike  stores 
of  all  kinds,  mills,  granaries,  and  tobacco  warehouses.  Of  household 
wares  its  preference  is  for  flour,  meal,  breakfast  foods,  and  condiments. 
It  is  especially  partial  to  red  pepper,  and  is  often  found  in  ginger,  rhu- 
barb, chamomile,  boneset,  and  other  roots  and  herbs  that  were  kept  in 


INSECTS    AlTi:<TIN<;    (KKKAI.S.    KIT'. 


125 


the  farmhouse  in  our  grandmothers'  day.  Ir  also  sometimes <gets  into 
dried  beans  and  peas,  chocolate,  black  pepper,  powdered  coffee,  licorice, 
peppermint,  almonds,  and  seeds  of  every  description. 

The  subject  of  injuries  wrought  by  this  Bpeciea  has  formed  the  text 
of  a  considerable  literature,  going  back  to  the  year  L721,  when  Pastor 
Kriseh  found  the  larva  feeding  upon  rye  bread,  and  including,  besides 
damage  of  the  nature  referred  to,  injury  to  drawings  and  paintings, 
manuscripts  and  books.  Some  singular  instances  are  recorded  of  its 
injuries  as  a  bookworm.  The  late  !>r.  Hagen  wrote  that  lie  once  saw 
"a  whole  shelf  of  theological  books,  two  hundred  years  old,  traveled 
through  transversely"  by  the  Larva  of  this  insect,  and  still  another 
record  is  published  of  injury  by  this  species,  or  Ptinusfur,  to  twenty- 
seven  folio  volumes,  which  it  is  said  were  u  perforated  in  a  straight  line 
by  one  and  the  same  insect,  and  so  regular  was  the  tunnel  that  a  string 
could  be  passed  through  the  whole  length  of  it 
and  the  entire  set  of  books  lifted  up  at  once."'  \^^^ 

In  pharmacies  it  runs  nearly  the  whole  gamut 
of  everything  kept  in  store,  from  insipid  gluten 
waters  to  such  acrid  substances  as  wormwood, 
from  the  aromatic  cardamom  and  anise  to  the 
deadly  aconite  and  belladonna.  It  is  particularly 
abundant  in  roots,  such  as  orris  and  flag,  and 
sometimes  infests  cantharides. 

It  is  recorded  to  have  established  a  colony  in  a 
human  skeleton  which  had  been  dried  with  the 
ligaments  left  on,  and  the  writer  has  seen  speci- 
mens taken  from  a  mummy.  It  has  even  been 
said  to  perforate  tin  foil  and  sheet  lead,  and  that 
it  will  "eat  anything  except  cast  iron."  In  short, 
a  whole  chapter  could  be  devoted  to  the  food  material  of  this  insect,  as 
nothing  seems  to  come  amiss  to  it  and  its  voracious  larva.  The  sub- 
ject may  conclude  with  the  statement  that  this  Division  has  received 
complaints  from  three  different  correspondents  of  injury  to  gun  wad- 
ding, and  there  are  several  records  of  injury  to  boots  and  shoes  and 
sheet  cork. 

The  larvae  bore  into  hard  substances  like  roots,  tunneling  them  in 
every  direction,  and  teed  also  upon  the  powder  which  soon  forms  and 
is  cast  out  of  their  burrows.  In  powdery  substances  the  larva-  form 
little  round  balls  or  cells,  which  become  cocoons,  in  which  they  umi- 
transforniation  to  pupae  and  then  to  the  adult  insect.  I  have  reared 
the  insect  from  egg  to  beetle  in  two  months,  and  as  it  habitually  lives 
in  artificially  heated  buildings  and  breeds  out  through  the  winter 
month-,  there  may  be  at  least  four  broods  in  a  moderately  warm 
i 

Minute  as  is  this  beetle,  it  is  preyed  upon  by  a  still  smaller  parasite, 
aledfl  fly  known  as  Meraporus  calandra   Mow.,  which  pursues  its 


Pio.  62.—9itodrepa  j 
Bead  of  larva,  shown  aboye; 
leg  "i"  lai  va  below    much 
enlarged  (original). 


12G 


PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 


victim  relentlessly,  even  entering  insect  boxes  infested  by  its  host,  as 
the  writer  had  once  occasion  to  observe.  A  diminutive  mite,  Heteropus 
ventricosus  Xewp.,  also  preys  upon  this  as  well  as  many  other  species 
of  like  habits,  attacking  it  in  its  larval  and  pupal  condition. 


THE    CIGARETTE   BEETLE. 

(Lasioderma  serricorne  Fab.) 


F-IG.  G3.—  Lasioderiaa  serricorne:  a,  larva;  b,  pupa;  c,  beetle;  (/.  .same,  lateral  view — all 
enlarged;  e,  antenna — much  enlarged  (original). 

Another  little  beetle,  superficially  resembling  the  preceding  species 
and  having  very  similar  habits,  often  occurs  in  houses.  As  its  English 
name  indicates,  it  is  chiefly  known  as  a  destroyer  of  tobacco,  and  as  such, 
in  the  opinion  of  many  thinking  people,  should  be  classified  with  bene- 
ficial insects.  It  is  by  no  means  so  common  as  the  drug-store  beetle, 
but  it  is  on  the  increase  and  doubtless  will  in  time  be  found  to  have 
nearly  the  same  range  of  food  materials.  As  a  tobacco  feeder  it  out- 
ranks that  species,  and  also  appears  to  favor 
certain  medicinal  plants  not  so  often  affected 
by  the  Sitodrepa. 

Of  household  supplies  it  has  been  found, 
in  the  experience  of  the  writer  as  well  as  of 
others,  infesting  cayeune  pepper,  ginger,  rhu- 
barb, rice,  figs,  yeast  cakes,  and  prepared  fish 
food.  It  has  been  reported  as  destructive  to 
silk  and  plush  upholstery,  and  the  past  year 
did  considerable  damage  to  dried  and  pre- 
served herbarium  specimens  in  Washington. 
Of  drugs  it  is  partial  to  ergot  and  turmeric, 
and  tobacco  it  devours  in  every  form,  in  the 
leaf  and  when  made  up  into  chewing  plug, 
cigarettes,  and  cigars. 

This  species  is  of  about  the  same  size  and 
color  as  the  drug-store  beetle,  but,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  figure  (03,  <>),  is  more  robust  and  the  elytra  are  not 
striated.  The  head  is  more  prominent  and  the  antennae  are  nearly 
uniformly  serrate,  not  ending  in  a  three-jointed  club  (fig.  63,  e).  The 
larva,  represented  at  d  in  curved  position  at  rest,  is  more  wrinkled 


Fig.  64. —  Lasioderma  serricorne: 
Head  of  larva,  shown  above:  leg 
of  larva  below— mueh  enlarged 
(original). 


INSECTS    AFFECTING    CEREALS,   ETC.  127 

and  hairy  than  that  of  Sitodrepa,  and  differs  as  well  in  the  structure  of 
the  head  and  legs  (see  fig.  64).  The  pupa,  shown  at  fig.  <!.*),  &,  is  white 
and  is  incased,  like  other  ptinids,  in  a  fragile  cocoon. 

THE    WHITE-MARKED    SPIDER    BEETLE. 

(I 'tni it*  fur  Linn.  ) 

Two  more  species  of  this  same  family  and  of  somewhat  similar  habits 
to  the  I  wo  beetles  just  mentioned  arc  sufficient  ly  common  in  storerooms 

and  cellars,  particularly  of  old  houses,  and  especially  in  the  North,  to 
attract  occasional  notice.  The  more  Important  of  these  is  Ptintis  fur, 
which  may  be  called  the  white-marked  spider  beetle,  t<>  distinguish  it 
from  the  allied  /'/.  hruiuiciis,  which  is  uniform  brown  in  color.  This 
beetle  is  reddish  brown,  with  four  white  bands  bn  fts  elytra.  It  lias 
long  antennas  and  legs  and  a  more  or  less  globular  body,  and  strongly 
suggests  a  spider  in  general  appearance.  The  sexes  differ  considerably, 
the  female  being  much  more  robust  than  her  consort. 

As  long  ago  as  17(56  Linnaeus  gave  an  account  of  this  species,  which 
he  stated  was  very  injurious  in  libraries.  It  occurs  also  in  old  barns, 
warehouses,  and  museums, and  is  credited  with  feeding  upon  a  variety 
of  substances,  vegetable  and  animal,  including  insect  collections  and 
dried  plants  in  herbaria.  It  lias  also  been  recorded  as  livinginbox< 
red  pepper,  and  during  March  of  the  present  year  was  so  reported  by 
Mr.  R.  C.  Lyle,  who  furnished  us  with  specimens  in  the  infested  sub- 
stance brought  from  his  home  at  Cedar  Springs,  Mich.  Many  years 
ago  it  was  severely  injurious  to  flour  at  Versailles.  Prance,  and  two 
years  since  Mr.  James  Fletcher  received  complaints  of  its  occurring 
abundantly  in  (lour  at  Orillia  and  Toronto.  Canada. 

During  1894  we  received  specimens  of  this  insect,  with  information 
that  they  had  been  discovered  near  Concord,  X.  II.,  in  a  barn  in 
which  were  stored  a  hundred  or  more  bags  of  cotton  seed.  They  had 
devoured  the  bags  and  increased  so  enormously  as  to  cover  the  build 
ings:  had  invaded  neighboring  houses,  and  were  attacking  clothing  of 
all  kinds.  The  owner  of  this  barn,  who  also  conducted  a  store,  was 
greatly  alarmed  for  fear  they  would  spread  throughout  tin'  town,  and 
serious  apprehension  was  felt  in  the  infested  locality  that  the  insect 
might  become  a  public  nuisance. 

When  to  the  items  just  mentioned  we  add  that  Dr.  George  Dimmock 
found  this  species  swarming  in  a  barrel  of  refuse  wool  covered  with 
sneep'sdung,  and  in  which  it  was  doubtless  breeding,  and  that,  to  the 
wi iters  personal  knowledge,  the  adults  are  attracted  to  fresh  fruit,  we 
sum  up  the  principal  facts  known  regarding  this  insect  in  America: 
but  if  we  are  to  believe  all  the  bad  things  that  are  said  of  it  in  Europe, 
it  is  capable  of  becoming  a  serious  pest  if  once  permitted  to  gain 
sufficient  headway,  for  it  is  accused  of  depredating  upon  furs  and  cloth- 
ing, roots,  grain,  and  stuffed  animals,  and  of  invading  ^-cd  stores, 
apothecaries'  wares,  and  cracker  stores. 


128  PRINCIPAL    HOUSEHOLD    INSECTS. 

The  larva  is  white  and  of  the  usual  ptinid  form,  quite  similar  to  that 
of  the  drug-store  beetle,  and  feeds,  like  that  species,  in  a  little  globu- 
lar case  of  delicate  construction  and  composed  of  the  material  that  it 
infests,  and  which  it  cements  loosely  together.  The  development  of 
this  species  is  said  to  be  annual  in  Europe.  It  has  been  carried 
through  all  its  transformations  here  at  Washington  in  about  three  and 
a  half  months,  the  pupal  period  lasting  thirteen  days. 

The  adult  beetles  are  nocturnal  and  may  be  found  in  the  dead  of 
winter  crawling  upon  the  walls  of  cellars  and  uuheated  buildings. 

THE   BROWN   SPIDER   BEETLE. 

(Ptinus  brunneus  Duft.) 

The  last  of  the  domestic  Ptinidae  that  will  require  special  notice  is 
the  one  above  mentioned,  and  which,  as  previously  stated,  differs  from 
its  congener  chiefly  in  lacking  the  white  marking  on  its  elytra.  Nor  is 
there  probably  any  degree  of  difference  in  habits  and  life  history 
beyond  the  recorded  list  of  food  materials  observed  for  each  species. 
Both  occur  in  the  same  locations,  not  unusually  living  together  in 
apparent  harmony.  Like  Ft.  fur,  it  is  disposed  to  be  omnivorous  and 
is  somewhat  of  a  scavenger,  frequenting  cellars  and  attics,  storehouses, 
henhouses,  and  rngeon  lofts,  being  competent  to  eke  out  a  living  almost 
anywhere  where  anything  animal  or  vegetable  is  stored.  Among  the 
different  substances  that  afford  it  sustenance  are  books,  feathers,  skins, 
dried  mushrooms,  and  the  excrement  of  rats  and  other  domestic 
animals.  It  sometimes  gets  into  drugs,  and  is  recorded  to  have  attacked 
musk  root  and  the  powdered  leaves  of  senna  and  jaborandi. 

SPECIES  OF  OCCASIONAL  OCCURRENCE  IN  VEGETABLE  STORES. 

The  following  insects  are  so  often  found  in  dry  vegetable  foods  as  to 
deserve  brief  mention.  Like  preceding  species,  they  are  cosmopolitan 
in  distribution  and  occur  in  the  greatest  numbers  in  tropical  climates. 

The  granary  weevil  (Calandra  granaria  Linn.),  a  small  dark-brown 
species  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  long,  is  very  partial  to  the  pearled 
barley  used  in  the  preparation  of  soups,  and  the  chick-pea,  a  legumi- 
nous seed  cultivated  for  the  same  purpose  in  tropical  countries. 

A  similar  species,  the  rice  weevil  (G.  oryza  Linn.),  which,  with  the 
preceding,  is  most  destructive  in  stored  grain,  as  an  adult  insect  some- 
times invades  boxes  of  cakes,  crackers,  yeast  cakes,  macaroni,  and 
similar  breadstuff's,  and  is  said  to  attack  chestnuts,  bird  seed,  and  even 
to  injure  tobacco.  It  also  breeds  in  rice  and  in  cracked  corn  and  other 
cereals  that  are  sufficiently  coarse  for  the  purpose. 

Two  weevils  belonging  to  the  family  Bruchidre,  of  wide  distribution, 
and  known  respectively  as  the  pea  weevil  (Bruchus  pisorum  Linn.)  and 
the  bean  weevil  (B.  obtectus  Say),  lay  their  eggs  upon  ripening  peas  and 
beans  in  our  gardens  and  thence  find  their  way  to  our  tables,  being 


INSECTS   AFFECTING    CEREALS,   ET<  129 

often  eaten  when  in  the  larval  condition,  safely  screened  from  viewin 
these  esculent  Legumes.  The  former  species  Is  restricted  to  the  pea  for 
food,  and  t hough  it  passes  t he  winter  in  peas  that  air  kept  in  store,  dues 
not  breed,  as  docs  the  latter,  for  successive  generations  in  the  same 
seed. 

Still  another  weevil  (Arcecerus  fasciculatus  DeG.),  a  member  of  the 
family  Anthribidae,  and   for  which  is  proposed  the  name  " coffee 
weevil,"  occurred  in  abundance  during  the  pasl  year  in  a  local  grocery 
store,  having  been  reported  to  us  by  a  purchaser  who  found  numbe 
the  beetles  in  dried  apples.    This  species  infests,  besides  coffee  b< 
and  dried  apples,  mace,  nutmegs,  chocolate  beans,  and  the  roots  of  a 
speeies  of  ginger. 

Certain  species  of  DermestidaB,  it  has  recently  been  learned,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  diet  of  dried  animal  matter,  at  tack  cereals  and  other  vegetable 
products.  The  commonest  of  t  hese  is  I  lie  black  carpel  beetle  ( .1  ttagenus 
piceus  Oliv.  .  an  account  of  which,  by  1  >r.  1  low  ard,  has  appeared  in  pre- 
ceding pages.  Its  larva  breeds  in  cereals,  ground  and  whole,  and  lias 
been  reared  from  millet,  pumpkin,  and  timothy  seed.  Trogoderma  tar- 
gale  Melsh.  has  similar  habits,  and  has  been  found  living  in  grain,  llax- 
seed,  castor  beans,  cayenne  pepper,  miller  and  pumpkin  seeds,  pea- 
nuts, and  meal  and  cake  manufactured  from  them.  Anthrenus  m  rbasci 
Linn.,  a  near  relative  of  the  so-called  "buffalo  moth"  treated  in  pre- 
vious pages,  has  nearly  the  same  food  habits  as  the  two  preceding 
species. 

A  grain  beetle  known  as  Cathartus  advena  Waltl.  of  the  same  family 
as  Silvanus  surinamensiSjh&s  similar  habits  to  the  latter,  but  is  much 
rarer  in  stored  products.  It  has  been  taken  by  the  writer  in  dry  dates, 
figs,  and  cacao  beans. 

Lcemophloeu8  pusillus  Sen.,  another  cucujid  beetle,  smaller,  flatter, 
and  with  longer  antennae  than  the  preceding,  occurs  in  Hour,  meal, 
grain,  ete.,  but,  as  it  is  at  least  partially  predaceous,  does  little  harm. 

Several  small  species  of  the  family  Xitidulida'  are  at  times  very 
injurious  to  dried  fruits,  but  seldom  occur  abundantly  in  this  country, 
except  in  the  South.  One  of  the  commonest  of  these  is  Carpophilus 
hemipterus  Linn. 

A  gray  moth  of  the  genus  Bphestia,  related  to  the  Indian-meal  moth. 
sometimes  occurs  with  this  latter  in  nuts  and  fruits.  It  isaboul  equally 
common  in  English  walnuts,  and  its  pinkish-striped  larva?  do  consider- 
able injury  to  dried  figs. 

The  Angoumois  main  moth  Sitotroga  cerealella  Ol.),  a  destructive 
granary  insect,  is  very  injurious  to  popcorn,  and  infests  also  rice  and 
and  other  cereals. 

REMEDIES. 

A  considerable  percentage  of  injury  to   the  dried  vegetable  products 

of  the  household  may  be  prevented  by  a  moderate  degree  of  care  when 
purchasing, and  in  storing  in  tight  receptacles  in  cool. dry  rooms. 
2806— No.  4 9 


„,,o,P.u.  =„D9raM  vtiilfiMiimiM 

3  1262  08928  9U/  / 

The  vegetable  foods  most  subject  to  injuij  are  prepared  cereals.  If 
any  of  these  be  badly  infested  at  the  time  of  purchase  it  will  be  plainly 
evident;  if  only  a  moderate  number  of  insects  be  present  and  it  be 
desirable  to  store  the  material  for  some  length  of  time,  by  sifting  over 
a  large  sheet  of  paper  of  light  color,  using  a  fine  sieve  for  flour  and 
corn  meal  and  a  coarser  one  for  cracked  wheat  and  like  foods,  the  pres- 
ence of  infesting  insects  may  be  detected. 

After  what  has  been  said  regarding  the  development  of  the  flour 
beetles  and  other  insects  it  should  be  superfluous  to  add  that  it  is 
impossible  to  entirely  free  infested  material  by  sifting,  as  the  eggs  and 
younger  larva1  slip  through  the  finest  meshes.  Most  insects  may  be 
destroyed  by  placing  the  material  infested  in  the  oven  at  a  moderate 
degree  of  heat,  from  125°  to  150°  F.,  but  care  must  be  exercised  not  to 
expose  it  to  a  higher  temperature.  Corn  meal,  particularly,  is  easily 
overheated,  and  afterwards,  unless  it  is  soon  to  be  used  in  cooking,  is 
apt  to  become  rancid. 

If  a  barrel  of  flour  or  large  quantity  of  other  provisions  becomes 
infested,  as  is  apt  to  happen  during  the  absence  of  a  family  from  home, 
bisulphide  of  carbon,  a  liquid  chemical  in  general  use  against  insects 
in  mills,  elevators,  granaries,  and  warehouses,  should  be  used  to  dis- 
infect it.  The  same  reagent  is  the  best  insecticide  for  use  when  whole 
rooms  are  to  be  fumigated. 

A  small  quantity  of  the  chemical  is  sufficient  for  the  disinfection  of  a 
barrel  of  flour,  as  the  insects  for  the  most  part  live  only  in  the  flour  at 
the  top,  being  unable  to  withstand  the  pressure  of  a  large  weight  of 
material.  From  a  half  to  a  whole  teacupful  (about  2  to  5  ounces)  of 
the  bisulphide  will  prove  sufficient  for  the  purpose  in  an  ordinary  case, 
provided  the  cover  be  replaced  as  tightly  as  possible.  In  more  severe 
cases  of  infestation  it  may  be  necessary  to  repeat  the  application.  The 
bisulphide  is  poured  into  shallow  pans  or  plates  placed  upon  the  top  of 
the  infested  mass  and  the  receptacle  covered  as  closely  as  possible  and 
left  for  a  day  or  more.  This  chemical  is  extremely  volatile,  and  being 
heavier  than  air,  descends  as  a  gas,  killing  such  insects  as  the  material 
may  contain.  When  an  entire  room  or  building  is  overrun  with  insects, 
the  bisulphide  is  evaporated  at  the  rate  of  a  pound  to  every  1,000  feet 
of  cubic  space. 

The  vapor  of  this  chemical  is  deadly  to  all  animal  life,  but  there  is 
no  danger  in  inhaling  a  small  quantity,  and  although  it  has  a  powerful 
and  disagreeable  odor,  this  soon  passes  away  without  any  after  effects 
and  without  harming  for  food  such  material  as  it  may  be  used  upon. 
The  vapor  is  also  inflammable,  but  if  no  fire,  as,  for  example,  a  lighted 
cigar,  be  brought  into  the  immediate  vicinity  until  the  fumes  have 
entirely  disappeared,  no  trouble  will  be  experienced. 

Bisulphide  of  carbon  costs,  at  retail,  from  20  to  30  cents  a  pound:  at 
wholesale,  in  50-poUnd  cans,  10  cents  a  pound. 


